


Steps

by CupcakeGangsta



Category: Shatter Me Series - Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Big brother-ish Warner, Books, Cute Warner, Cute as hell Delalieu, Delalieu needs a hug, Frustrated Warner, Juliette research, Lung disease, Nice Delalieu, Obsession with eye colors, POV Third Person Limited, Pre-Series, Quarantine, Sector 45, Top notch investigation, Warner has a lot of paperwork, coughing up blood, lots of dialouge, slow plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2018-11-13 06:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 28,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11178555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupcakeGangsta/pseuds/CupcakeGangsta
Summary: One day Warner finds a young girl sitting in his office. He doesn't know how she got there. She says she simply walked. As if! But as time goes by Warner realizes that it will be harder to find her origin than they thought. And that she's starting to grow on him and Delalieu, his Lieutenant. What trouble will the young girl bring on them and sector 45?





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't really know what to write here... maybe I should explain some things about the fic itself?
> 
> It already exists on Fanfiction.net under the same name. My name is the same as well. There are more chapters there at the moment. 
> 
> It takes place about a year before the events of Shatter me, so Warner is eighteen turning nineteen (since it's December now and Warner's birthday is in April (so he's technically turning twenty after Ignite me)). Juliette and Co will be added later on. Like, A LOT later on. Kenji shows up earlier though. I have no clue if I can keep the fic alive that long honestly. Lets hope for the best :D
> 
> Um... what else? Some characters might be OOC, tell me if they are and you think it's ruining stuff. Example I already know of and won't change: Warner and Delalieu aren't as strict/tense around each other as they are in the books. I want them to interact more with each other :3
> 
> The OC belongs to me. Um... Don't steal her(?)
> 
> That's all I think...
> 
> To the fic! (￣▽￣)ゞ

Warner was ready to withdraw from his day at work. Maybe, if the rest of the base didn't try thinking for themselves, he could even have some time over to read in his latest addition to his library; Les Miserables - It was quite the challenge with over one thousand five hundred pages, but it was sort of relaxing reading such a slow paced story with so many detailed descriptions of characters and surroundings. Though he doubted school children would think the same, so by this point he was reading it more for his own entertainment rather than to see if it fitted for the educational department.

If he had remembered correctly he had left it in his office. A quick retrieval and this was going to be a peaceful afternoon .

Or that's what he had been thinking when he had walked passed the many guards in his corridor, used the card for his door and walked through his bedroom to reach the office door.

But not more than five steps into the room he had to come to an abrupt halt and reach for his gun. Pointing it at the stranger across the room.

"What are you doing in here?"

A pair of eyes perked up at the sudden question. Surrounded by short light brown lashes.

Gray.

Gray eyes

"Reading", she had said. It was a girl. She couldn't be older than twelve. She returned her gaze to the book in her lap, something Warner had not noticed before. It was from his bookcase.

A girl was sitting in his office and reading a book from his bookcase.

"How did you get in here?", he asked, not lowering the gun.

"Walked", she said.

"What?"

"What what?"

"Did you just say walked?"

"Yes", she answered plainly, still not lifting her gaze from the book before her.

"You can't just walk in here."

She looked at him again.

"Well, that's exactly what I did", she remarked. She didn't sound sarcastic.

"No, that's impossible."

"What do you mean impossible?"

He wanted to groan.

"The whole outside area is covered by watchtowers and guards, the corridor is rimmed with soldiers, they should have stopped you", he says,"the door should be locked", he gesticulated towards the door he came from.

She shrugged. Seeming to have forgotten the gun pointed at her.

"That didn't stop me."

"What does that mean!"

"That I walked in here. With my own two legs. You're looking at me as if I just flew in through the window by flapping my ears."

"Because that's exactly how likely that you'd get in here by just walking!"

He wasn't doing this as he should. He was letting the conversation of track and he knew it.

He took a deep breath before trying again.

"Who are you?"

She seemed legitimately happy that he finally asked.

"I'm Alice. Nice to meet you", she said.

Warner stared at her for a few seconds.

"What are you doing here?"

"Reading", she repeated and then returned to her book, deeming the conversation over.

"So you're not here to kill me?", he asked. It didn't seem like you could try prying out the answers from this one.

She looked up again. Now puzzled.

"Why would I do that? It's not like you've done anything to me", she said, then as she recalled something,"Well, expect pointing a gun at me...", she pondered to herself.

He groaned.

Looked up to the ceiling.

Lowered the gun ever so slightly as his frustration grew.

"What do you want?"

"Want?"

His gaze returned to her posture on the floor.

"Yes, want. You wouldn't just come here to read, would you? So what was it that you wanted to do when you walked in here?"

"Oh", she said.

She bent over and rested her chin on her knuckle, which rested on her knee. Thinking.

"Well, I don't know..."

"You don't know...?"

"...yes?"

Warner's patience crumbled at that.

He put the gun back into its holster, deeming Alice harmless enough to trust that he could handle her with his bare hands, marched up to his desk and grabbed up his phone, pushed a few buttons and before his lieutenant could even greet him with the usual meek yes sir this,yes sir that; barked as collected as possible that,"Delalieu, situate yourself in my quarters immediately. It's a crisis!", not waiting for a response he threw down the receiver so that Delalieu had another heart attack on the other end of the line.

A scoff was heard from the bookcase.

"What?", Warner snapped.

"I've never been qualified as a crisis before..", Alice commented, her eyes directed to the book once more.

"I've never had someone just walking into my office."

"Must be lonely.."

"Yes, very", he chided, tapping his index finger against the desk.

* * *

 

It took 3 minutes and 47 seconds for the Lieutenant to get to Warner's office. He didn't bother knocking as the door was wide open from Warner's earlier entrance. He had his gun raised and was panting from probably having to dash like a madman through the whole building.

"Sir. H-how can I be off service?", he asked as soon as he entered.

Perhaps he imagined his superior to be standing by the table with maps and strategies preparing for an attack or uprising from the civilians. Or polishing his guns and automatic weapons. Or drawing face paint on his cheekbones with mud mixed with blood.

Or sitting relaxed in his chair with a smug smile about to tell him that it was all an exercise.

Anything but what he saw before him.

It was Aaron striding back and forth across the room with a young girl slung over his shoulder.

They seemed to be arguing over something.

Even if it was quite one sided.

"Put me down..!", the girl huffed.

"Request declined", Warner responded, curtly.

"I need to go to the bathroom", she whined.

"I can not progress your request"

"Down"

"I can't..."

"Sir?"

Warner looked up with a slightly awoken expression.

"Ah.. Delalieu..!"

Alice also looked to the doorway. Her face erupting in a childishly delighted smile.

"Hi there!", she chimed, forgetting her previous sulky mood. She even gave him a little wave which he raised his hand to answer before changing his mind.

Delalieu was an older man somewhere between sixty and seventy, dressed in the black Lieutenant uniform, with wet grey eyes, dark brown hair with plenty of grey streaks, even if he had started to bald some at the top, and a bushy mustache over the mouth. Shaped in both confusion and curiosity.

"Sir…. is this the crisis..?", he asked realizing that the girl was the only anomaly in the room. Trying to sound polite.

"Yes, Delalieu this is the crisis. Any questions?", Warner answered matter of factly. Heaving Alice further up the shoulder.

"Well..", Delalieu started, so flabbergasted by the scene that he didn't really know what to ask first.

"Um, why- when… um, why is she in your office, sir, and not the… guest facilities, sir?"

A careful question.

"I'm glad we're on the same page. Because that's what I would like to know, too Lieutenant", Warner said with a collected smile.

"Eh…"

There was a pause.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, sir…"

"Well, neither do I Lieutenant!", Warner said raising his voice ever so slightly.

"Is this how you try informing everyone? You must be annoying to work with", Alice commented as the conversation didn't really seem to go anywhere. And she was still dangling over Warner's shoulder.

Warner seemed to also remember the position of the girl, as if her weight had been unnoticeable.

Ignoring her comment he put her back down onto the ground, but as she took a step towards the door, probably the bathroom, he took a grip of her wrist and looked to Delalieu.

"What I want to know is how this girl", he shook Alice a little to emphasize, bringing out an ow,"Got into my office without anyone stopping her", Warner continued without pause. Getting angrier by the second as he kept thinking over how this even happened.

"She w-what!?", Delalieu whispered.

"Yes, Delalieu, she claims she simply walked in here. And would you ever so kindly explain to me how she would be able to do that?"

"Oh oh!", Alice suddenly chimed jumping on the spot drawing both males' attention,"I just realized something! You must be in like the biggest lock down right now, because you just had another someone walking into your office!", she pointed at Delalieu.

She looked like she thought she'd won the first prize.

"That's not the same thing. I summoned him here", Warner said and made an eye movement only compared to rolling his eyes.

Delalieu hid a small laugh in a cough. He had never seen his young superior in such a mood before.

"Have anything to say Lieutenant?"

This brought the Lieutenant right back into his meek state.

"I-I don't know how this happened, sir. The corridors are patrolled, there has been no reports of any absence. Ever, sir. The corridor outside your quarter has been guarded just like everywhere else in the building", Delalieu blurred looking at Alice seeming as intrigued as his leader.

"Then how come she was here when I walked in? Just sitting by my bookcase not giving a care about guards in the world. How?!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know, sir", Delalieu whispered. Looking like he expected a gun to his face.

Warner groaned. Again.

Alice just kept quiet.

 

* * *

 

"I just don't understand where she comes from! It's like she simply teleported into my office. There's no other explanation!", Warner ranted as he staggered back and forth in the conference room. Alice was locked into the office, with the elevator dispensed with a password, keeping her from his private gym. They didn't want her to have access to the guns contained down there.

Delalieu was sitting with his hands clasped in his lap following the chief commander with his gaze.

"Well that's easy", he suddenly perked up.

Warner spun around and looked at him. Stopped pacing.

"What?"

"She's from scandinavia, sir."

"... _what_..?"

Delalieu realized the irrelevant answer and started fiddling with the papers in front of him. Though as he had been asked he decided to explain.

"Well, haven't you noticed, sir? She has quite the accent.."

" _What_ accent? You've heard her utter five sentences, how can you judge her whole nationality with only that?", Warner demanded.

Delalieu looked slightly startled.

"She rolls her _r's_ , sir. And she pronounces the _w_ as single _v_ 's. I think she'd talk with one of the scandinavian language melodies once she relaxes enough", he nodded.

Warner scowled.

"Delalieu, she won't be staying for any longer than it takes for us to get to know how she _walked passed my soldiers_ unnoticed and _waltzed_ into _my private quarters_."

Delalieu meet eyes with the table.

"Of course, sir, certainly, sir."

Warner started his pacing once more.

"How did she get in?", he asked himself. His mind racking for answers. But nothing made sense. Unless it was all some well planned joke..

But the door was locked, and he was the only one with the key. Excluding an extra Delalieu had. And the cleaners. But what would they have against him?

"Perhaps we should look at the surveillance cameras? We should be able to track her journey all the way from the entrance. Right?"

Warner whirled around again.

'Why didn't I think of that?', a voice wondered in his head.

* * *

 

"This is _not_ happening…!"

The only thing keeping him from banging his head against the desk was that Delalieu kept pressing replay to try finding something to reveal that a girl had _walked_ through the corridors.

Nothing.

Not a glance from a guard to reveal any plotting.

Not a flicker of tape revealing any modification.

Not a _shadow_ out of place.

Not a sound if she would have crawled through the air vent.

They even tried with playing it at half the speed.

Then fourth the speed.

Then tenth the speed.

"She shows up out of nowhere, with no apparent reason whatsoever! Silently sits down and reads _my_ books, and with no answer of where she came from!", he ranted once more.

"...Well, we do know she's from scandinavia, sir", Delalieu tried cheering up.

"We don't even know now that for sure Lieutenant!"

"Oh yes sir I'm sorry sir…!"

The soldiers who had been withdrawn from the monitor room must have been wondering what all the yelling was about.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Both males startled at the sound. Warner was the first to react.

"Didn't I tell them to _not_ disturb us?", he asked through clenched teeth, looking at Delalieu.

"Yes, sir, you did sir", Delalieu reassured.

Then he just sat there waiting for instructions.

"Well, open then!", Warner snapped gesturing for the door.

"Oh", Delalieu breathed before scrambling out of his chair towards the door,"yes of course, sir, forgive me sir!"

He was at the door in seconds.

Opened.

"Hello Mr Delalieu!"

Delalieu stood frozen and just stared at the short stature outside the door. As did the soldiers already waiting outside the door.

"Do you have a moment-"

" _What_?!", Warner shouted.

He lifted from the chair so quickly it fell over. Four long strands and he was by the door, shoved Delalieu out of the way and with an iron grip of the small wrist, yanked her into the room. Slamming the door behind him.

She yelped at the sudden movement, which hurt her wrist, too.

"Ow", she muttered.

Warner didn't give her any time to recoil.

"How did you get here?!", he shouted. Not caring if those soldiers heard him. They already knew of her existence anyway.

She looked at him with an uninterested look.

"I walked", she answered plainly.

He groaned.

" _No_ , _how_ did you get out of my room? I locked the door."

"24601", she said.

Warner did not respond.

"Sir, is she-?"

"Yes Delalieu she's saying what I think she's saying", he answered curtly. Then he turned back to her.

"Where did you get that code?"

She just stared at him.

"The code", he repeated," _where?_ " He hardened the grip of her wrist.

"Your desk..", she said, cringing a little at the pain in her wrist.

"You looked _in_ my desk?", Warner asked," Have you _no_ manners?"

Alice suddenly looked troubled.

"Oh no, I didn't touch the desk. The book laid on top of it!", she explained.

"How did you get the password from that?"

Alice got an ' _Are you serious?'_   look on her face.

"You don't need to be Einstien to figure out a five digit password when _Les Miserables_ is laying on the desk", she said, with a European pronouncement of the French title.

There was a silence.

"Sir, is what she's saying-"

"It was a hurried situation!", Warner interrupted. Then he opened the door once more and walked out into the corridor with Alice in tow.

As he expected the soldiers were already gone. Spreading gossip around the base like plague.

He cursed under his breath.

"Delalieu", he said.

As the older man came out the door Warner pushed Alice towards him, letting off the grip of her wrist.

"Escort her to the guest facilities and _stay_ there with her until further notice", he ordered.

Delalieu looked from his superior to the girl with worry.

"Oh, understood sir!", he then said.

"I have to attend other…", Warner trailed,"..things", he decided.

He sent a glare at Alice and noded for Delalieu.

"Do not lose her", he added, and then turned on his heel and left.

"Oh, well then..", Delalieu said uncomfortably, he hesitated but as Alice didn't look uncomfortable at all he just noded in the direction where they were heading.

"This way, miss..", he said. Then, for good measures in case they would walk into Warner, he took Alice by the hand and started walking towards the guest facilities.

* * *

The two walked through the building. Delalieu slightly before with Alice easily walking behind him. He tried to look as nonchalant as possible to not attract any unnecessary attention. Though every soldier, guard, cleaner and other stared perplexed at the girl.

It wasn't her presence that startled so much, but her appearance. First of, she was clean and looked healthy. The civilians from outside didn't. Not now in the winter. And because she had not been seen here before, and no announcement of a parent that might be visiting had been, she had to be from outside the base.

Second was what she was wearing. No uniform they knew of. No patches as the clothes outside. And they fitted her. And they weren't winter clothing either. They were summer.

She wore a white sailors blouse, with the edge of the flap being of lacing. The goldy blond springs were held away from her face with a clip in shape of a cream and gold ribbon. Below she had a pleated gray skirt and white socks with a pair of sneakers.

Even if her was wearing a summer outfit she wasn't tan, though she had a nice pink undertone, giving of her fair health. Something rare.

"Mr Delalieu?", she suddenly asked, scaring the man out of his thoughts.

"Yes Miss?", he asked turning his head to her.

"You have a much nicer way of holding hands than Warner", she said, looking at their connected hands.

Delalieu didn't know what to respond at first. He blushed slightly, but smiled at her.

"Sir Warner isn't very used to girls…", Delalieu tried explaining.

"But you are", Alice remarked.

"I suppose so…"

"Why is that?", Alice asked.

Delalieu looked forward again, greeting a Sergeant with a nod; said Sergeant didn't look twice at Alice for some reason. As he thought over the question.

"Well..", he blew some air through his moustache," I guess because I have had a wife and a daughter. And a sister myself. Sir Warner doesn't, and he works too much to meet any girls besides the civilians and the cleaners." He decided.

Alice was quiet for a while.

"How big is this place?", she asked as she stared at the many buttons in the elevator.

"This part of the building has the deepest basement, so it had more floors than the rest. So there isn't twenty floors everywhere. I think it would be too big for sector 45's headquarter…", he said.

"Oh, okay", Alice said.

Delalieu pressed the button for for the fifth floor, and then the elevator left for the guest facilities.

* * *

After many hours of trying to research where Alice came from Warner decided that he ' _didn't have bloody time for this_ ' and simply sent Alice to the compounds.

"Did she tell you anything interesting?", Warner asked his lieutenant as he and Delalieu ate dinner. Delalieu had, once the decision had been made to send her off to the compounds, personally gone out to make sure Alice did not trouble the soldiers who left her.

Delalieu startled, seemingly from being lost in thought. Something that was not usual for the old man in the presence of his superior.

"I-i did not catch that, sir…"

"Did she tell you anything that raised interest?", Warner repeated with slight annoyance. His moodiness did not show any sign to cease, even as the day went by without any further disturbances.

Delalieu seemed to think over the answer.

"Well.. She said she likes reading… And-"

He stopped as he saw the skeptic expression of Warner.

"Anything of _importance_ ", he corrected.

"Oh..", Delalieu said embarrassed.

"Anything about how she got inside? Why she's wearing summer clothing? If she already knew anyone from the base?", Warner exampled.

"She didn't know what the weather was like outside!", Delalieu suddenly said.

"..what..?"

"She didn't know it was winter, it seemed", he explained,"' _it looks so gray!'_ she said when she looked out the window", he retold.

"And this is helpful _because_?", Warner asked.

"Well… I haven't meet anyone not knowing it's December, sir. Have you?"

Warner's stare was enough to answer the question.

"W-what I'm saying, sir, is that it might be that she's just confused. Perhaps she didn't know what she was doing", Delalieu explained.

"I'm certain that she had no idea about what she was doing", Warner said,"Otherwise she would have known that she put herself in a position in which she risked being shot as an intruder."

Delalieu slumped his shoulders a little and returned to his meal.

"Certainly, sir.."

The night fell and the base changed their activity by routine. Delalieu went to bed and so did Warner.

He laid in his bed and groaned at the non fitting pieces at the back of his mind. Nothing made sense. But it was over now wasn't it? The girl was back in the compounds and wouldn't bother him.

How wrong he was.


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner gets a nice surprise for breakfast. But no breakfast. But Alice and Delaieu does. They have a nice time :)

Warner woke up at half past five. He tried to roll over and sleep some more, but he was wide awake. He up, got dressed and went to his private gym, as every morning. He remembered the prior day's ordeal when he realized the elevator was still dispensed.

But he refused letting his pondering distract him from his routine. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to think of anything else for the rest of the day. And he couldn't let that happen. He had to be focused.

The good thing with waking early, he realized, was that he could train for some longer than usual.

When he was finished, at seven, he took a shower and got dressed again.

Suit, shirt, socks, shoes, tie, watch, gun holster. Dried his hair. Brushed his teeth. Flossed.

He was done earlier than usual today. It sort of messed up his schedule. But then an idea hit him. He went into his office and retrieved _Les Miserables_ from on top of his desk. Then he walked to the dining room to wait for Delalieu to join the breakfast.

* * *

 

Warner was interrupted in his reading by steps coming towards the room.

He looked at the watch, 8:37. Delalieu was late and he hadn't even noticed. He hadn't even had the food sent in for him.

He set the book on the table. Trying to gather up some annoyance inside him so he'd at least be able to scold his Lieutenant a little.

The door opened.

"Do you know what time it is Lieutenant?", he asked out loud. Not even looking towards the door.

"Sir! I've been looking for you!", Delalieu said, a slight pant in his voice.

Warner's eyes darted the older man's way.

"About what? I always have breakfast at 8:15. It shouldn't have been hard finding me, Lieutenant", he said curtly. Was he surrounded by idiots?

"It's the girl from yesterday sir", Delalieu explained.

"S-she's back..!"

Warner was silent for a few seconds. Then he turned his head ever. So. Slowly.

"What?"

* * *

 

"Where is she?!", Warner demanded as the two walked down the corridor, him first and Delalieu second, even though Warner technically had no idea of where they were going.

"T-the guest facilities, sir. Just like yesterday", Delalieu stammered.

"And you tried sending her away before getting me?", Warner asked.

"Of course, sir!", Delalieu assured," But she was back bare minutes after the soldier came back reporting to me!"

Warner stopped so abruptly that Delalieu almost walked into him.

"How fast, did you say?", he asked. Turning around.

The look on his face alone made Delalieu forget what he had just asked of him.

"W-what?", He asked.

"How quickly did she return? They went in a tank didn't they? How could she return to base that quickly? Where did they drop her off?"

"In the compounds, sir. Just like yesterday. She came back after less than forty minutes", Delalieu said.

Warner blinked.

"That's impossible", was all he said.

"I know sir, that's why-"

Just then a chim interrupted them from across the hallway.

"Hello Mr Delalieu!"

"Huh?"

" _How…_!?"

There she stood, blonde springs as steady as yesterday. Her summer outfit replaced with a long sleeved knitted shirt and a pair of brown pants, which were more appropriate for the season. Her face had a new red tone from the cold, but other than that she looked as upbeat as before.

She was waving.

"I was looking for you, Mr Delalieu", she said, putting her hands behind her back and rolling on her toes.

Delalieu was too surprised to speak, but not Warner.

He looked left and right, since they were in a cross road of corridors, and seeing no guard to rant at he just focused his anger at the girl.

"You!", he snarled and walked up to her.

"Oh, it's you!", she said happily, and added upon recognising the Chief commander,"Hi, Warner!"

His hand found her wrist. He yanked her forward.

"Ow..."

Warner ignored her.

"Delalieu, where's the closest room we can address this in private?", he asked the elder.

Delalieu let his mind think for a few seconds.

"The dining room is the closest, sir", he decided.

"Then the dinning room it is", Warner declared, then with Alice in rough escort, retreated to the dining room.

* * *

 

" _How did you get back here?!_ ", Warner asked once more. He was staggering back and forth through the room. Alice was sitting by the table and Delalieu stood beside it, on the opposite side.

Alice had a bored look on her face. Her cheeks resting on her knuckles. Elbows prompted up on the table top.

"I walked. It wasn't too hard remembering the way back from the guest rooms", she answered.

" _Excellent_ ", Warner muttered.

"Now", he said,"how did you get back _to this base?_ ", he asked, underlining the exact position by pointing at the rug underneath his shoes.

"I walked here", Alice said.

"Twice", she added.

Warner wanted to shot something.

"Yes, you keep saying that…", he muttered.

"How did you get out of the guest room?", Delalieu suddenly asked. He had been quiet for a while now.

Alice turned to him in the chair.

"Hm?"

Delalieu explained,"I positioned a soldier by the door. Did he just let you walk by him?", he asked.

"A guard…", she mumbled to herself. She looked up, staring at something in the air. Deep in thought.

"I…"

The lieutenant and leader shared a look of puzzlement.

"...I don't know", she shrugged,"Maybe I walked past him. I was looking for you", she shrugged again and looked at Delalieu.

* * *

 

Warner stormed off to ask this guard his version of the story. Delalieu just hoped that it was something the guard wouldn't be blamed for. But if he knew his young superior well there would still be some kind of consequence.

He cringed at the thought of the poor soldier as the door slammed closed.

"Are you hungry, miss?", he suddenly asked, seeing the time.

Himself was ready for breakfast either way. He walked up to the awaiting food trolleys and lifted the first one. It had toasted bread and some kind of sausages. It smelled devined.

Alice blinked and looked to the food trolleys at the other wall.

"You're welcome to eat, miss. You can't have had any breakfast if your morning consisted of walking back and back to base."

Her stomach growled as the smell reached her, crushing any excuse she might have had.

Today's breakfast had the same properties as English breakfast, so Alice was rather confused why there were beans included.

Delalieu had her eat toast, sausage, eggs and even some beans after some recommendation. Because Warner always talked on about how fruit was an essential part of one's breakfast the two also split a banana in two for each of them.

Delalieu sat watching how the girl consumed her meal while himself took small gulps of his coffee.

He hadn't asked her if she wanted any tea or coffee when they had seated themselves, not expecting a young girl to enjoy caffeine breuvages. That's why he had been so surprised seeing her pour herself a cup of boiled breakfast tea in the other cup he always brought for Warner.

_"You like tea, miss?", he had asked._

_She had looked at him._

_"Oh, yes, mister", she had nodded and looked quite serious. Then she took a sip to demonstrate._

He hadn't had a meal in this room without hearing how unnecessary caffeine and everything with similar effects were. Though he had only had one other as company during those meals...

"Mr Delalieu", snapped him from his thinking.

"Y-yes?", he asked. He realized his coffee was long gone empty and that Alice had already finished up.

"I'm done, so where do I put the dishes?", she asked, holding out the neatly stacked plate and utensils.

"Oh", he said and almost stood up in his chair,"Don't worry about that! We have maids and cleaners to take care of such things", he explained, then he took her plate and placed it underneath his own, just to make it easier for the cleaners.

"Is there a kitchen here?", she asked.

"Yes, somewhere underneath ground level. Though I've never been there myself."

"So it's somewhere in the basement?", she asked.

"Yes", Delalieu agreed,"I thinks it's the second floor down", he added after some thinking.

"Okay", she said.

"What do we do now, Mr Delalieu?", she then asked.

Because Warner hadn't returned Delalieu decided to simply stay within the dining room, just to be safe. He did not want to walk off somewhere to have Warner look for him later on.

All the while Alice asked, what seemed like, random questions about the base and sector. Though they seemed more like children's curious questions than a spy trying to pry at their data and numbers; so Delalieu answered the best he could.

" _Do you choose the breakfast?"_

" _Why so long hallways?"_

" _Do you get coffee breaks?"_

" _Do you like them?"_

" _Do you only drink coffee, or do you eat biscuits or something to that?"_

The cleaners came and went.

Delalieu had lost track of the time when Warner came in through the door. Slamming it closed.

It made Delalieu jump and Alice look up.

"You!", Warner said, clearly even more aggrevated than he had been earlier today, and pointed at the girl,"I want you _off_ my base!"

"Sir…?"

Warner strode up to the table where the two were still sitting. He was frustrated, tired, humiliated and hungry from the lack of breakfast. Nothing could pacify him.

"The guard had no idea what I was even talking about. He thought she was still in the room. I've checked _all_ the surveillance, and all I can find is her", he pointed again,"walking with us here! I want her back in the compounds where she won't waste any more of my time. I'm sick of this!"

* * *

 

Thus Alice was sent back to the compounds. Again.

This time Delalieu didn't follow as Warner thought that he had missed out on too much of his day already. The young leader was also quite salty about that Delalieu hadn't found out anything else important about the girl, other than that she liked tea.

"Let's hope she stays in the compounds for good this time", Warner concluded to Delalieu as the report of the _delivery_ dropped down on his desk.

"I've wasted so much time today just running around base trying to understand how she got here that I have missed out on almost a day's paperwork. That's time I will have to compensate for somehow", he chided.

Delalieu nodded.

"Certainly, sir. If you want me to take care of any ground work, I'm here to help", he said.

"I know that Delalieu. You're my Lieutenant."

Delalieu did not say anything more after that.

* * *

 

It took a week.


	3. Day 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice returns to base after some problems appear in the compound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last time Warner yells at Alice for popping up at base, promise :P

"What is she doing here?!", Warner literally roared when he came to the dining room in the morning.

"I-I can explain, sir!", Delalieu had stuttered and waved for the leader to calm himself.

"How on earth would you do that? I remember telling you that I didn't want to see her here again."

He looked to the girl.

"How did you get here?! And is you say _walked_ I swear to God…!"

Alice, sitting at the table in the dining room, just looked at him and said:

"No, I got here in a tank. How rude of you to just jump to conclusions like that..", she said absentmindedly. More interested in the tea in front of her than the yelling chief commander standing in the doorway.

"That's exactly what you did your first day here", Warner retorted as he walked further into the room.

"And you didn't like that, did you?", Alice responded.

"You..", he grumbled. He was by the table now. By the look of his posture it looked like he was going to smack that tea cup of the table.

"Sir", Delalieu said,"Are you focusing?", he asked ever so careful.

Warner froze and seemed to think over his prior reactions.

He sighed. He was really losing track of himself when dealing with this. He had to focus. Had to empty his mind for a second.

"You, came here in a tank…", he muttered and rubbed his temple, "That means the soldiers took you here", he continued,"My soldiers…"

"Yes, sir", Delalieu said,"Because she didn't have a citizen-card. Neither could they find her in the system and according to the keeper of the compound group-"

"Let me guess, no one can testify that she actually belongs in the compounds, or even our sector", Warner finished looking up.

"Exactly, sir", Delalieu said.

Warner seemed to come to the conclusion that he wasn't surrounded by complete idiots. He had actually not thought of that detail before. That since Alice was an actual intruder, she would not have a citizen-card. At least the compound groups did their job with arresting intruders.

But there was something that wasn't explained.

"Then why is she _here?_ ", he asked. Referring to the dining room.

Delalieu had the decency to look embarrassed.

"She was here when I got here, so I asked her to stay here for breakfast, sir. I didn't want her wandering the base.."

Warner looked over his options, he could either simply send her away right away. She wasn't staying any longer than necessary.

Though she had already started consuming her meal, would he go so far? And he didn't want to postpone his own breakfast just to give out orders to the compound groups.

He sighed under his breath.

' _W_ _hat am I doing?'_ , suddenly struck him. Was he seriously considering to treat her breakfast for being arrested as an intruder and then sneaking her way into their dining room-

"How did you get in here?", he suddenly asked, remembering where they were.

"Hmm?", Alice asked, looking up.

"Delalieu said you were already here when he got here", Warner said looking between the two.

"I-i was just about to ask her that, sir", Delalieu flicked in, but Warner waved for him to be quiet.

"Did someone just drop you off here without my consent?"

By the tone Warner was using it was easy to tell that someone was going to be in trouble if that was the case.

But Alice wasn't discouraged. She smiled at the chief commander.

"No, don't worry", she said,"I walked here myself."

Warner first looked as if he wanted to break something. Then when he opened his mouth to probably scold her for whatever rule she was breaking, or over the fact that that was ' _impossible'_ , she was faster to continue.

"A few soldiers asked me where I was going, but when I said I was looking for Delalieu they didn't seem to care. I remembered the way and the door was unlocked. Then Delalieu came and was _super_ surprised. And then you came in and started yelling", she said and gave him a look. 

"So no one stopped you?"

"Mhm", she nodded.

"And they just let you walk on when you said you were looking for Delalieu?"

Alice put her chin on her knuckle and got a slight scowl between her eyebrows.

"Does it make a difference to repeat what I just said?"

Warner gave her a quick glare before he looked to Delalieu for some kind of explanation. The Lieutenant only shook his head. But then he seemed to remember something.

"Ah... That might- might be my fault, sir. There were a lot of soldiers that saw me escort her to the guest facilities the first time she was here, so perhaps they have come to the assumption that she knows me", he explained,"I-I apologize for not informing them properly."

"Don't be, Lieutenant", Warner interrupted,"I should have gone out of with some kind of clarification on how to handle her ' _visits'_ ", he told the elder, eyeing Alice.

Then he sighed again under his breath andn rubbed his temple as he realized how much extra work this was going to cause him.

Alice just sipped her tea.

* * *

Warner sent Alice on her way with the orders to the compounds to withhold any attempt of arresting her, as he would try finding her proper origin. It was too bad she didn't have her citizen card with her when she showed up.


	4. Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner pays a visit to the archives.

Warner had never been to the archives before. He simply hadn't had a reason to before. If he wanted any specific information someone else retrieved it for him.

Going there was sort of a new experience. It was mostly was he had expected it to be. A long room filled with cabinets, which contained files and documents on the people in sector 45. All sorted by the citizen number instead of the last names. Everyone registered within the Reestablishment were accessible from here. The civilians, the soldiers, deceased and alive. If he wanted to find his own he'd just go to the first cabinet in the row furthest to the left.

But having just an archive of their single sector would be a waste of potential. The larger archive was digital and easily accessed via one of the computers at the back.

Well, easily accessible if you knew how to use them.

Warner did not.

He cleared his throat into the room.

You could hear the movement of an office chair further back.

"Yes?", a slow voice called out.

"O'lander, is that how to greet you commander?", Warner asked.

There was a sudden scramble at the back of the room. A head appeared by the side of the cabinet by the third row. A pair of brown eyes widening a fraction too much to have been entertained by the surprise.

The soldier went rigid and saluted.

"Forgive me, sir!"

"I'm here to make a search", Warner announced and walked past the soldier, heading towards the computer.

"Yes, sir", the soldier said.

Warner sat down in the chair O'lander had sat in and looked at the computer.

"I need you to assist me, since I have no knowledge of how this works." He said. Then looked to the soldier.

"I need to research a citizen. Minor female, specific age unknown. Start with our sector and we'll work from there ", Warner instructed.

"Any name, sir?" The soldier asked as he seated himself in the other chair. He was already typing in some commandos.

"...Alice", Warner responded after some thought.

There was a pause.

"Any last name, sir?", the soldier asked in confusion.

"No."

* * *

 

Sector 45 had four different Alice:s, though none of them had the same picture as her. Sector 43, 44 and 46 had combined ten other females named the same, but none of the same age or description. Sectors 41, 42, 47, 48 had even less combined and none of them matched their Alice. Warner dismissed the soldier and after being instructed on how to use the computer started working on his own.

He broadened the search.

Five more sectors, ten more.

Twenty.

Thirty.

As the numbers grew and he had to go through more and more pictures and data and information his patience started thinning. Before he had realized it he had managed to broad the search for half of the sectors on the continent.

Seeing the numbers getting ridiculously big he moistened his lips.

"I don't have time for this", he muttered under his breath as he stood up. The soldier followed suit on the other side of the room and saluted.

"Did you find what you were looking for, sir?", the soldier asked. Out of politeness, or because he was curious? Warner didn't care.

"No."

And then he was out the door.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was real fun to write


	5. Day 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner visits the compound to follow up his research.

"I'm going to ensure that what the compound group said is true; that the girl isn't recognized in the compounds. I don't know how long it will take", Warner announced during the breakfast.

"Do you mean Alice, sir?"

"Yes, her", Warner waved off.

"I still don't understand how she got into my locked office, and it bothers me that she's still here in my sector as an unidentified intruder. If we want to know what sector she came from, we need her last name, because Janice isn't specific enough."

"Alice", Delalieu flicked in.

"What?"

"...her name is Alice, sir", the older said, rather reluctant. Then shrank at the look Warner gave him.

* * *

On his visits to the compounds, Warner asked every citizen he meet about if they had seen a girl with blonde hair and oddly tan skin for the season.

No one had.

"The soldiers have already asked me."

"Who? Oh, the little older one who plays with the kids? No, I don't recognize her."

"Blonde? Is she lost? No? Then why are you wondering? … No I haven't seen her before about.. two weeks back."

" _Who?",_ with a tilt of the head.

The teachers didn't know anything either.

But what really annoyed him was that not even he recognized her. Because he knew the compounds. This shouldn't have happened.

At the end of the day when he was walking back to his tank he saw her playing with some other children. Dressed in one of the worn jackets of some other child, he guessed. Her cheeks were rosy and the cold air made puffs of air leave her mouth.

They were playing tag, it looked like.

He stopped in his tracks and watched her some more. But as he noticed she was the only one of the children absent of a citizen card, swinging back and forth around their necks, he continued with brisk steps to his awaiting tank.

It seemed like he wanted to crush the snow under his feet.


	6. Day 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delalieu meets Alice in the compound.

Delalieu had had a longer day than usual it seemed. Starting with the chief commander being extra grumpy during the breakfast, because apparently he had stayed up late trying to unfocus from the mystery girl. New years eve was closing in and the weather was getting rather raw, so the assembly with the soldiers had been rather unpleasant. Especially when you had to stand still for so long.

Though the trip to the compounds felt refreshing somehow, even with the same wet feeling in the air. He couldn't really tell why.

The living quarters, that Warner himself had come up with, had been established during the summer that year and were serving their purpose quite efficiently. The only question remaining was whether they would hold up against the winter climate without causing too large expenses to stay warm. All the higher ups were very eager to know the results.

Delalieu himself wasn't sure if he wanted them to stay. Sure, they were better than the tent camps; those had never been a lasting option. But they were really depressing to look at after a while.

Perhaps it was the lack of sidewalks, flowerbeds and caged in trees... or that they all looked the same.

But he wasn't the one to complain, after all, he lived at the base with roof over his head and proper food.

He was tasked to observe the compound groups, but he took some time to talk to citizens as well. Unlike the oblige to answer the questions of the chief commander, the lieutenant could have more relaxed conversations with the citizens. After all, he had been there for quite a while; while Warner had received his post less than a year ago.

But since Delalieu felt that he wasn't very good at socializing he did not utilize this very often.

* * *

_"That girl you keep asking about, she's been starting to wander off sometimes. We don't know where she's going. But she always comes back afterwards, so we don't think about it too much."_

He had just heard that from a woman and was standing still on the spot, deep in thought, when Alice had appeared before him.

"Mr Delalieu!"

He had gotten quite startled and turned around just in time to see her slip and land on her butt further off. Sending melted snow flying in the air.

"Ow…!", she cried out.

Delalieu was quickly by her side helping her up. She had gotten slush and dirt on her jacket and back of her pants, but she didn't look too bothered.

"Thank you, Mr Delalieu!", she said while swaying some before she found her balance again.

"Are you okay, miss?", he asked.

"I'm fine, I think", she said, after clearing her throat a little, but cringed as she felt her abused back.

"What's that bone at the end of the spine called?", she asked.

"The tailbone?"

"I think I landed on the tailbone…", she admitted.

"Well, that's not good", Delalieu said, though he knew he couldn't really do anything about it.

"Does it hurt a lot?", he asked.

"No", she said,"It's fine." Then she tried brushing off some of the slush.

Then she looked up at him, a smile spreading on her lips.

"Do you want to take a walk with me, Mr Delalieu?", she asked.

He blinked, surprised. He had never heard a child ask if he wanted to take a walk with them. But it didn't matter, really.

"I… I suppose I have a few minutes until I must go back to base", he said.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt though? I can get you to the medics center if you'd like…"

"I'm fine!", She smiled. Then she started walking.

Delalieu suddenly found himself pulled with her, and he realized their hands were still interlocked from when he had helped her up.

* * *

 It was as if Alice had been waiting for Delalieu to come by, because it seemed like she had a whole new arsenal of new questions concerning the compound, and his coffee habits.

"I kind of miss eating with you two", Alice suddenly said as the two were walking.

"What do you mean, miss?", Delalieu asked.

Alice shrugged, but didn't look discouraged.

"I think it's how annoyed Warner always was with me sitting by the table. He'd always chew his food much faster when you and I were talking…"

Realizing it was true made Delalieu chuckled. 


	7. Day 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delalieu tries to make small talk during dinner.

"I meet Alice in the compounds yesterday", Delalieu dropped into the empty space of conversation at the dinner table.

"What?"

Delalieu swallowed his food.

"Alice, the girl. I meet her in the compounds yesterday. She seemed to be doing well", he said,"It's starting to get rather raw outside right now. She slipped on some slush."

Warner kept chewing.

His eyes showing something that looked like both frustration at the mere utter of the name, and a lack of interest.

"Any news on what the civilians know about her?", he asked.

Delalieu was about to say no, but then he remembered what that woman, just before he meet the girl had said.

"There was one woman..", he said,"..who mentioned that she's been wandering off sometimes."

"I assume you are referring to the girl when you say _she_ ", Warner said curtly.

"...yes", Delalieu nodded, then started eating again. Completely oblivious to Warner staring at him as if he was trying to determine whether he was trying to make a joke or not.

And when Warner deemed he wasn't, he dried the corners of his mouth with a napkin before dropping it next to the plate.

A scowl on his face Delalieu noticed when he looked up.

The chief commander was more frustrated than uninterested at this point.

"How nice of you to tell me this now, Lieutenant", he said,"now I have to go and instruct a compound group to monitor her whereabouts."

To monitor... 

"Oh", was all Delalieu said as he realized what he had done, but quickly added:"Of course, sir. I'm sorry!"

"I assumed you were, Lieutenant", was all Warner said while he pushed back his chair and started heading for the door.

"S-sir..!", Delalieu stuttered to catch the younger's attention.

Warner did halt.

"W-wouldn't it be easier if we p-provided her with a citizen card? After all, it tracks her movements...", Delalieu asked.

Warner shook his head.

"Only official citizens are allowed citizen cards. If we were to make her an official citizens we would have to grant her custody, and if we did that there would be no reason of trying to find her origin to return her to."

"And are there no temporary solutions?", Delalieu asked.

Warner shook his head again.

"Nothing I know off", he said. But then he seemed to change his mind. He tilted his head some.

"I suppose we could plant a manual tracker on her", he said wagging a finger in the air as if the idea had something to it. But he changed his mind almost immediately.

"But we can't give her one of our trackers without an official report of what's it's used for…"

Delalieu was about to ask why that would be a bad thing when the fact of Warner's position slammed into the back of his head like a heavy textbook. 

The chief commander had been in charge for less than a year. The news of a mysterious little girl sneaking into his office would make a fool out of him. There would be no excuse to cover it up with if it actually got out.

"L-let's go with the compound group", Delalieu nodded.

Warner also nodded and then he was out the door.


	8. Day 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner and Delalieu share some more news during dinner.

The compound didn't give that much new information. According to the reports she walked around the neighborhood, and sometimes walked along the perimeter of the compounds. But she never tried climbing it, or getting out any other way.

"They have been told not to shoot her if she actually passes through", Warner told Delalieu during one of their meals,"But if she actually would try, and repeat it after that we can't leave her to it. It might give the rest of the civilians ideas", he added.

"O-of course, sir", Delalieu agreed. He just hoped Alice would understand the seriousness of the situation.

"And if another compound group spots her, are they under those orders too, sir?", he asked.

"Yes", Warner responded.

"Good", Delalieu said. Feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He returned to his meal.

After a few seconds he realized Warner was giving him quite the peculiar look. He sat with his chin resting in his hand, a slight scowl on his face.

"Hm?", sounded the Lieutenant.

"You told me good", answered Warner. He sounded puzzled. Not disapproving, but surely not entertained either.

Realizing his mistake Delalieu almost choked on the food in his mouth.

He coughed

"I'm sorry, sir!", he said, when he had gotten his breathing under control.

Warner stared at the older man for a few seconds longer.

"I forgive you", he said.

Then after a few more moments thinking he returned to his meal.


	9. Day 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delalieu takes another trip to the compounds!

' _The air feels thinner today_ ', Delalieu remarked to himself as he exited the tank.

It was still too warm for the snow to stay white as it hit the ground, and the snowflakes themselves were nothing more than specks of white in the air. Though as Delalieu had said; the air was lighter and not as heavy with rain as the last time he had visited the compound.

He made his control of the patrols, then took a walk. He wanted to see if he could find Alice. He felt that if he would to be of any use he would at least try finding out her last name, since his last attempts had only sent his chief commander into a deeper frustration.

He didn't have to look long. Though it was Alice that found him.

"Hello Mr Delalieu!", she chimed in her usual carefree manner as he approached.

"Hello, miss Alice", Delalieu responded.

The group of children she had been playing with was standing further of. They were deeply engaged in a tag game. Running back and forth between the houses.

"Wanna walk with me?", She asked, looking up at him.

Delalieu blinked in surprise. It was easier than he thought to take her to the side and talk to her. Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? After all she seemed to enjoy taking walks.

"Oh, of course, miss", he said.

Delalieu thought she would guide their walk towards the border of the compound for sure, since that's where she had been hanging around for the prior days, but she didn't. They simply walked among the houses.

* * *

Alice kept at her seemingly random questions about the base and the ordeals there. In return Delalieu asked her about her stay in the compounds.

"It gets boring at times..", she said,"..because I don't get to go to school. The other kids do, so I'm the only one left at home. The adults are nice...!", She assured,"I stay out of the way most of the time."

She had to stop to quickly cough.

"I do chores instead", she continued.

Delalieu frowned.

"Are you sick my dear?", He asked.

Alice got large eyes and shook her head.

"No, no-", she started, but was interrupted by another coughing fit.

"It's something in the air!", she said, holding a hand before her mouth,"Something I'm not used to."

Delalieu nodded slowly. Yes, it was a fact that the atmosphere was nothing to brag with these days; especially now in the winter. And maybe it was understandable since Alice wasn't from here. It occurred to him that maybe he really had gotten used to this filthy air after all these years in the same environment.

"I see Martha over there!", Alice said suddenly.

She pointed towards the building at which the civilians received their everyday food portions. A heavily guarded warehouse in red brick. Obviously not all of the sector's food was stored within such a facility, the food was delivered from one of the larger underground stocks, but they still had to make sure nothing got stolen.

There was a small queue of people waiting for the doors to open and give them their promised nutrients.

Alice lifted her arm and waved.

Delalieu saw a woman in the line answering the wave. Even though she didn't seem as enthusiastic.

Since Delalieu was standing right beside the girl he gave the woman a small subtle wave.

Alice coughed again before saying,"I should get over there, in case she needs help carrying."

"Oh, okay then", Delalieu said.

Alice let go of his hand and said,"Have a nice day Mr Delalieu."

"You too miss", Delalieu said.

Then she was on her way. She had taken about four steps away from him when he remembered he needed her last name. He wanted to smack himself on the head for forgetting again.

"Wait!", He shouted. It came out rather loud.

Alice turned around again.

"Yes?", she asked.

"Um…" How do you ask someone for their last name without sounding irrelevant?

She just looked at him. Not impatiently, but it was clear she was wondering what he wanted.

"What is your full name, miss?", he asked after deciding that asking directly would probably be the most efficient way.

She broke into a smile, surprising the Lieutenant.

"You're asking that for Warner, aren't you?", she asked.

He was frozen for a moment, but he straightened himself and nodded.

"He wants to know _pretty_ badly, right?", she asked. Putting her hands behind her back. Leaning forward slightly.

Delalieu nodded again. He was glad she understood.

"Then I think he can come ask me himself", Alice said.

Delalieu just nodded, his brain not registering the rejection. Though after a few seconds lacking of last names he realized what she had said.

"W-what..?", he asked.

Alice shrugged then coughed gently into her hand.

"I've seen him visiting the compounds, like, seven times since I came here. Then three times _on_ base. That's _ten_ times", she said, she held out both her hands, gloved fingers spread to show her ten fingers.

"If he needed my last name _so_ _badly_ , he could have asked me for it during _any_ of those times", she said. Then she started turning around again, as if she deemed the conversation finished.

Delalieu felt a strike of panic run down his back.

"P-please, miss Alice!", he pleaded.

She looked at him over her shoulder. Here was no compassion in those gray eyes. Actually, they had a slight scowl in them.

"Mr Delalieu!", she said,"You're Warner's Lieutenant, are you not?", she demanded. She crossed her arms and turned around fully again.

He nodded like a robot. The sudden flare in the small girl had put him off guard.

"Then stop acting like his secretary!", she told him.

Then she turned on her heel and walked off.

Delalieu remained where he stood. He had been ready to beg, for sure. He thought that even if she would be reluctant he would solve it with reason. Or maybe even bribe her with something. A book maybe. But being scolded by her? No, he wasn't prepared for that. He had thought she was more lenient than that.

A thought struck him and he felt even more vulnerable. Slouching his posture. Frowning to himself.

What was Warner going to think about this?

* * *

"She told you _what_?", Warner asked.

Delalieu wasn't sure whether he legitimately wanted him to repeat the message or if he was just repeating it out loud to see if Delalieu would deny it.

They were inside Warner's office. Warner sitting behind his desk, a pen in hand to sign whatever documents that were laying in front of him. Though it had frozen in the air.

"She w-wants you to come ask her yourself, sir", he said, standing in front of the chief commander's black desk like a school boy, "She refused to tell me-"

Warner doubted the old man had been that persuasive in the attempt.

"You know I have better things to spend my time on", Warner interrupted and rose from his chair. "You know better than to promise some brat that I'm going to find a gap in my schedule to come talk to her", he continued.

Delalieu lifted his hand to protest, but halted it; remembering his place.

"Yes, Lieutenant?", Warner asked, catching that the man held something back. Though he did not sound inviting.

Delalieu hesitated.

"Speak up, Lieutenant!", Warner snapped.

"It was just...", Delalieu started, but did not dare continue.

"Yes?"

It was clear Warner would be more annoyed if the sentence was unfinished than of hearing the content itself.

Delalieu gulped. Braced himself.

"It was just that she did mentioned…", he slowed down some, feeling as if he was treading on thin ice,"...that she has seen you plenty of times in the compounds, but… that you never asked her... yourself..."

Warner groaned, something that had become more common when talking about the girl.

"Of course she has..", he muttered under his breath recalling all those times he saw her play with the other children.

He took a deep breath, trying to find a solution to not oblige to her childish demand. Letting it out slowly. His finger tapping the desk top.

_Tap tap tap_

"See if you can get her last name without having to waste my valuable time to pay her a visit, Lieutenant", he then said, straightening his posture.

"Yes sir", Delalieu said.

"Wait until a few days have passed, otherwise you'll lose the trust you have accomplished", Warner instructed,"Neither do we want the civilians knowing there's something special about her. No doubt she will start talking about our operation if she finds you too pushy. We don't want them thinking they could use her against us", he continued.

"In what way would that be?", Delalieu asked, suddenly worried.

"Hostage probably. For information. To try make a change in the ruling of the sector", Warner shrugged.

"If the information about the fact that she isn't connected to you hasn't reached the compounds already they might think it would _actually_ work. And considering we have no idea where she came from they would probably try using her to find a way to escape the sector as a whole", he continued,"If they are desperate enough there would be no boundaries to what they would do to make her tell them."

"Personally, I would like to know how she got here", he added, pulling out his chair to return to his work.

"Me, too sir", Delalieu agreed, thoughts elsewhere.


	10. Day 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Delalieu! And he does not like the sound of Alice's cough!

It had snowed during the night. A thin powdery white layer covering everything in splotches. The air was icy, so much that their breaths didn't come in clouds anymore.

"You can't make anything of it", Alice remarked. Her naked hands were trying to push the snow into some sort of shape. They were pale from the cold.

She was kneeling on the ground, collecting the scarce white spots around her feet.

"Don't you have any gloves, dear?", Delalieu asked, standing above her.

She looked up and shook her head.

"I gave mine to the little brother in the house I live in. His knuckles had started cracking from the cold, so I thought he needed them better than me."

"That is very nice of you, Alice", Delalieu said.

He watched her for a few more seconds.

He frowned.

"Well, aren't _you_ cold now?", he asked.

She shrugged.

"A little."

Delalieu looked at her pale hands again. Collecting the snow to play with. He didn't doubt they would start to crack from the cold soon.

"Maybe.. you should try to k-keep them warm.. if you don't have any gloves."

Light blue eyes looked up at him. He didn't remember them to be blue. They were gray last time he had taken a good look at them. It was the red hue in her cheeks from the cold that brought it out, he realized. And how the paler skin made her locks look darker.

He became lost for a second.

"No, I'm fine", she said.

She looked down again.

"It's a lot colder where I'm from, so I'm used to it."

Delalieu was ready to let it drop. It wasn't his place. But then he remembered how he had reacted the other day. He didn't want that again. Even if she had apologized for scolding him like that. She had been afraid that she had hurt his feelings.

"I don't believe that", he said.

Alice looked up in surprise.

Delalieu crouched down beside the girl, removed the glove he was wearing, and took one of her hands in his.

"You're cold as ice!", He said after noticing her temperature.

"I don't feel cold...", she protested halfheartedly.

"Come on now", he said,"Just feel the difference b-between your and my hand!"

He took his unoccupied hand and reached for her other hand.

"See?", he asked as he felt the girl's hands warm up within his own.

"I guess-", Alice said but had to jerk the second hand away, startling Delalieu. She brought it to her mouth and started coughing into it.

This one lasted a little bit longer than the other day, and by the end of it Delalieu had the same frown as then.

"Are you getting worse?", he asked as soon she could take deep breaths again.

"I'm not!", Alice declared at once.

"It's.. It's just the-"

She coughed again. It sounded as if there was something in her lungs. Something that wanted out.

"You should visit the medical building", he said. He stood up and dunked her between the shoulder blades. Or where he thought the shoulder blades were positioned. Her jacket was so oversized it was hard to tell.

"No", she said, her breathing back to normal once more.

" _No_?", Delalieu asked in surprise.

"It won't help", she said,"It's the-"

She coughed again. The effort causing her shoulders to jerk as the coughs shook her body.

Delalieu got annoyed at that point. As they were still holding hands (she was only using one hand to shield her coughs) he simply started heading to the medics. Pulling her with him.

She was too occupied coughing to realize where they were heading. Or maybe she didn't have it in her to struggle against when he was trying to help her.

* * *

 

"I'm sorry sir, but we can not examine her."

"Why?", Delalieu demanded, standing outside the medical center. A low building made out of barracks. Alice was looking at the soldier in the door from behind Delalieu. 

"She's s-sick!", Delalieu said. As if it wasn't obvious.

"She does not have a citizen-card, sir. You already know this. It's prohibited to give any medical help to intruders, or any normal civilian lacking the privileges. The only reason that she isn't already sent to base is because of Chief commander Warner's orders. But you already know that", the soldier explained. You could tell he didn't actually want to decline a little girl medical help, especially when it was so clear that she was sick in some way. But he was a soldier and the price was high if he disobeyed his orders.

Delalieu was quiet for a few seconds. Blew some air through his moustache. Making it ruffle.

"What if I order you to examine her?", he asked. Eyes in a serious scowl.

The soldier shook his head.

"Sorry, sir. You have to go ask Warner for such an exception."

On ordinary terms Delalieu would actually have that sort of power over the soldiers. But with matters concerning this specific girl. _This girl_ that had showed up in Warner's office one day. There was no one that wanted to act unless it's ordered out by Warner himself. Between Warner's wrath and the interest of one little girl; they rather ask him about it first hand before trying something on their own.

* * *

"I told you no", Alice said as they walked away from the medics building. Connected by the hands.

"Martha already tried bringing me there, they said no then, too. But they weren't as polite as they were with you", she added.

Delalieu just nodded, lost in thought.

"Mr Delalieu?", she asked as she didn't get a response.

She leaned forwards and saw that he was staring straight forward, but not really there.

" _Delalieu_?", she repeated.

This snapped him from his thinking.

"Y-yes?", he asked.

She looked at him for a few seconds before walking straight again.

"You shouldn't worry too much", she said.

This confused the elder.

"Hm?"

"Martha says it's probably just a cold, so I shouldn't worry about it".

She looked at him again. Those light blue, but still gray, irises aimed at him again.

"So neither should you. But you can worry a little, if you'd like", she said.

Delalieu raised his eyebrows in a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a feeling of reassurance only children could bring out. But it was gone as soon as it came.

"Something that would make me worry less would be if you stayed inside, dear. Where you can stay _warm_ ", he said as they walked.

Alice seemed to think over the proposal.

"I like being warm", she said after a while,"Warm and snug", she said.

Then she had to come to an abrupt stop and cough.

Listening to it it almost sounded like it had gotten worse within the twenty minutes that had gone by.

He brought a hand to her forehead, checking the temperature. To his relief she wasn't unusually warm.

"At least you don't have a fever", he said.

"But let's get you inside", he added and looked around to see if he could find that Martha woman. Since he didn't actually know where Alice was staying.

* * *

When he was heading back to base he realized he hadn't tried asking Alice about her last name even once.

This time he actually smacked himself on the forehead.


	11. Day 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner gets a status report on Alice and doesn't react the way Delalieu was expecting.

"Status report on the girl, Lieutenant", Warner said as he walked into the conference room.

For once Delalieu wasn't alone in the room with the commander. A sergeant was already present for the meeting, and three other men.

But he wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

"I thought you wanted it as a written report, sir", Delalieu said as he lowered his hand from salute.

"Would it make any difference if you gave me a rough draft verbally, Lieutenant?"

"Um…", Delalieu trailed,"Of course not, sir."

Warner waited.

Delalieu cleared his throat awkwardly.

"She is still refusing to tell us her surname, sir", he said quickly. Perhaps it was considered lying since he had forgotten to actually ask her about it. But he had a feeling that it would still be the case if he tried.

"Then try harder Lieutenant", Warner responded curtly, as if he had expected just that.

Delalieu had expected Warner's reaction as well.

"Y-yes, sir", he said.

Then he waited for Warner's usual ' _Anything else?'_ ; but it never came. Warner had already continued to the head of the table in the conference room. And started to prepare the papers they were going to discuss.

"S-sir?", Delalieu asked as he followed the commander. Positioning himself at a polite distance.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Th-there was something else…", he said, in a low voice to not attract attention from the others in the room.

Warner looked up.

"Something more important than finding her last name?", he asked.

Delalieu tried to not feel discouraged.

"Sir, she's sick."

Warner did not looked concerned.

" _Sick_?", he asked. He made a tiny scrunch of his nose as he uttered the word.

"How _sick_?", he wondered, returning his attention to the documents.

"A cough that's been getting worse and worse between the days I've seen her", Delalieu explained to him.

"The mother in the house wants to bring her to the medical center. But she c-cannot because she lacks the privileges."

"And let me guess, Lieutenant", Warner said.

"I'm the only one that make an exception happen."

It wasn't a question.

"I'm afraid so, sir", Delalieu nodded.

Warner was still looking at his documents when he said:

"Too bad I won't grant her anything until she gives me her last name."

Delalieu, once he had registered what had been said, was stunned.

"Sir…!", he started, as in a protest, but held himself back. But it was clear that he was still upset, his lips pressed together in a line.

Warner continued undisturbed.

"Tell her that and she might understand the seriousness of the situation", he continued.

"Sir, she is a child…!", Delalieu reminded in panic.

Warner looked up, shocked that he was questioned. By Delalieu even so. Luckily, looking around the room he saw that no one was paying attention to them.

"I doubt this _sickness_ is anything more severe than a cold. She can hold out until my next visit to the compound. I can't spare my time to go beforehand."

Delalieu knew it was no matter of discussion.

"Of course, sir", Delalieu agreed meekly. Then backed away to take his seat at the table.


	12. Day 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner goes to see Alice. And things aren't good. And there's a lot of snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning down below

He doubted he had ever seen Delalieu as relieved as the moment he announced that he was planning to going to the compounds. He had a feeling the Lieutenant wanted nothing more but to join him, just to make sure the girl was taken care of afterwards, but that he had held himself back. Something Warner wasn't sure if he thought was for the best or not.

Exiting the tank he saw that the snow had increased over the past few days he had spent inside. It was deep enough for footprints to appear when you set your foot down; and since it was still snowing they were covered up and replaced with new ones every few minutes. Same was with the sun panels on the roofs.

He had made sure to equippe each house with a broom so that they could clear the panels if necessary. It was extra important now during the winter, since the span of daylight was shortened.

He could already see a few inhabitants taking the initiative, standing at the roof of their boxes with brooms in hand, sending cascades of snow down the sides. A few unlucky neighbors getting it all over themselves if they walked too close on their way to work.

Others were happy over this extra snow it seemed. But that was mostly the children playing in it.

What he couldn't see was the girl.

Alice.

"Soldiers, find your patrols and change the guards", Warner ordered when everyone had exited their tanks. There was about twenty of them.

"I have some things to take care of. You are dismissed."

The monitoring group had reported to him that the girl had been staying in her living department since Delalieu had tried taking her to the medical center.

That's where he went first.

* * *

It was Martha Nelson that opened the door to him. A mother of three, two boys and one girl, a husband in the military, a sister down the street. She worked at the uniform factory.

She was the hostess of the girl.

"She's not here", was the first thing she said after they exchanged greetings.

Warner frowned.

"I was informed she was sick. Shouldn't she stay out of the snow?", he asked.

Martha looked down, took a deep breath.

"She went out for a walk, said she needed some fresh air", she answered quickly.

She was worried he realized.

' _Odd that she let her outside if that's the case'_ , he thought.

Suddenly a little boy came to the doorway and clung himself on his mother's leg.

"I let Alice borrow the gloves she gave me!", he announced proudly.

"So she can play in the snow if she wants to!", he explained. Pronouncing his L's as W's.

"Yes, and that was very nice of you, Benjamin", his mother said, stroking his hair.

Benjamin looked up at Warner. A sudden interest in his eyes.

"If you see Alice", he said,"tell her to come back soon. 'Cuz her cough will get worse if she eats too much snow! Mommy said that."

"Please", he added quickly.

Warner couldn't help but feel a smile tug at the corners of his mouth a little at the request.

"I'll go look for her", he said.

Then he nodded a goodbye to the two. Martha not looking like she wished him a good farewell.

* * *

He found her after a good snow-filled quarter of an hour. She was by the fence, staring at what layed on the other side through the squared net of metal thread.

Standing in an almost perfect profile.

Her nose was a little upturned, he noticed. Like a soft ski slope.

She must have stood there for quite a while because there were no footprints in the snow around her. Looking at her worn jacket he saw that some had collected on her shoulders.

"Here I am!", Warner announced as she didn't notice his presence.

She startled and slowly turned her head towards him. A bit too slow for the energetic girl he had seen running around with the other children.

"War… ner…?" Her voice broke a little between the shallow breaths she was taking. He could tell by the small puffs flying from her mouth.

When she looked at him he saw that she had a red, fevery hue across her cheeks. She was sick. It was very obvious.

He asked himself again how on earth Martha had let her outside.

But that wasn't his fault was it? She was the one being stubborn about having to meet him. And he was going to let her visit a doctor as soon as this was dealt with anyway.

"Yes I'm here, as promised", he said and took a few steps closer to her.

"Why are you outside by the way? I thought you were getting worse."

She looked down at that. Ashamed maybe?

"It… feels better... outside", she answered softly. Putting a hand to her chest as if it hurt.

"You just have to tell me your last name and I'll let a doctor have a look at you", he assured.

Then he waited for his long awaited answer. Watching as Alice's breaths tried to deepen, but couldn't.

She coughed.

She managed to get out some incoherent syllables between them, but he couldn't make anything of it. She realized the same.

She took a pause to try get her breathing under control. But it didn't work.

The coughs only deepened, and Warner's eyes widened at the sound.

It sounded like two rocks being grinded together.

"Alice?", he asked, slightly worried about that sound.

But Alice didn't answer, or couldn't hear him. The hand that had been on her chest was before her mouth now, and the other held onto the fence for support. Her gloved fingers interlocking with the metal squares.

Her shoulder's jerking in the ravaging coughs. Her knees starting to weaken underneath her, and she started slumping downwards.

"Alice..!"

Warner hurried up to her, panic on his face. He didn't know anything about medical aid except sprained ankles, contusions, concussions, gunshot wounds and other flesh wounds. And the after shock from the gunshot wound and other flesh wounds.

All the knew about airways was the heimlich maneuver and CPR, and that wouldn't work in this situation.

"Try taking small breaths!", he told her. And somehow he managed to still keep his ordering voice intact with his racing heart.

Standing above her he looked around to see if there was a soldier nearby that could fetch a medic. But since they were by the fence, hidden by view by some buildings he saw no one.

_'I brought twenty more soldiers and not a single one is patrolling around this_ one _building?!'_

"Small I said!", he when the sound of stones grinding only intensified.

Then he looked down again.

And his frantic heartbeat almost stopped.

Alice had put a hand on the snow covered ground. The one that had been before her mouth. And as her hand slid a little in her ravage coughs, he saw that the snow wasn't just white. It was red.

He went rigid.

Then he turned his head and shouted with all his might,"Somebody get a doctor. IMMEDIATELY!"

Just as Alice coughed again and a stain appeared before her. Dark red against the white snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood is being coughed up in this chapter. Don't read if you get stressed, or, something!


	13. Day 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at base!

Warner had never imagined that the air could ever feel  _tense_ in the same room as Delalieu.  _Awkward_ , sure.  _Panicked_ , yes. It had happened on several occasions.

But this was new to him.

If he didn't know better he would think Delalieu was about to scold him. Even if he probably had the authority to do so.

At least that was what it felt like when he stepped into the medical corridor.

But when he saw the older man; restlessly pacing back and forth before the pair of chairs by the wall. Which he had probably been sitting in at some point. He realized this tenseness was something else.

 _Worry_.

"How is she?", he asked.

Delalieu looked up and stopped in his tracks. Looking just a little confused over what he was doing. As if he had woken up after falling asleep before the TV.

"S-sorry?", he asked.

Warner cleared his throat.

" _How are things going_?", he asked.

Delalieu nodded. Still with that lost expression on his face. His gaze flickering between Warner's eyes and the wall behind the commander.

He even forgot to salute the younger. But he didn't reprimand him. No one else was there anyway.

"They've p-put in a tub to ease the… fluids…", he answered.

Warner nodded once. He had made the decision to pick her up and run back from the compound fence back there. But he had had to go up to take a shower and change his shirt when they arrived to base.

Though that was a detail he wanted to keep from the old Lieutenant.

Right now the girl was being examined and treated in a room somewhere further into the medical wing.

"But they are still k-keeping the oxygen mask on…", Delalieu added.

"Good", Warner said.

He wanted to ask of the doctors had found a reason for the blood, since he was curious. But the lieutenant seemed so giddy he decided not to.

Instead he cleared his throat.

"Well then, I'll return to my office. Alert me when she's ready to talk, though I would think that won't be until tomorrow. Until then I need to start a report on why the medical wing is being used by someone without a citizen number", he said. With an inner sigh on the paperwork.

How was he going to explain that he didn't make an even larger report when she first showed up?  _'Oh, didn't I send it to you already? My bad!'_   _Sure_  that would work.

"Will d-do, sir", Delalieu said, this time remembering to salute. Even if his whole posture was shaky.

Warner turned around to leave the corridor. He had no further business there. Well, until the medics could give his report an even better reason to why the girl was being treated on base rather than in the compound.

But the doors slamming open interrupted him. Almost hitting him in the process. Out of it came four nurses. Or, came is an understatement. They  _burst_  out of the doors.  _Running_.

Warner had time to push himself against the wall before they rushed by. Two of them immediately going through another door further ahead.

All Warner could catch of them was that one of them had a push cart with something. The wheels rattling echoing even when the second door slammed shut.

The other two stopped by Delalieu and Warner. A male and a female. Though it was hard to actually tell with their uniforms being exactly the same.

They had masks over their mouths. Eyes wide. Alert hands raised before them.

"What's going on?", Delalieu asked. Confused.

"I'm wondering the same", Warner asked, standing away from the wall. Though his voice was as cold and steady as ever.

The nurses shared a look, looking at Warner, then at Delalieu, and back at Warner again.

"You must come with us, sir", one of them finally said. The female. Looking straight at Warner.

"And  _why_ exactly _,_  would I have to do that?", Warner asked. His voice sharp.

The male answered this time. Lowering his hands to seem less threatening.

"You were there when the girl coughed blood, right?"

Warner could literally hear how Delalieu went pale.

"Yes", he replied, uneffected.

The nurse nodded.

"That means you were exposed to pneumonic plague. And you must come with us to prevent any further spread. Sir."

 _Pneumonic plague_.

He had heard that before. But he couldn't remember where.

But they didn't give him any time to think of it any further.

"Sir, you must come with us  _now_!", the nurse said.

He was about to object. To demand some sort of evidence. A confirmation by someone more authorised than two mere nurses. Then Delalieu's meek:"Sir you should g-go with them", cut through his thinking.

He looked at the lieutenant.

Some sort of knowledge. A legit worry that covered him.

They meet eyes and Delalieu gave him a small nod.

"Fine", he said and looked back to the nurses.

* * *

"Delalieu you're in charge of the the girl's medical progress. Report everything to me", Warner said before the male nurse escorted him away.

To where? They hadn't said.

"Are you s-sure you don't want me to come t-too?" Delalieu asked as the female nurse turned to walk through the second door. Warner was out the first door, and the Lieutenant would be all alone if she left.

She turned halfway and looked at him.

"You haven't had any contact with the girl since she was brought in, have you?", she asked.

"I haven't. I stayed out of the way out here", he answered.

"And I assume you haven't been within physical contact of the commander."

It was a safe assumption.

"Y-yes", he assured.

She nodded.

"Then you haven't been exposed. Sir Warner was in contact with the blood. You weren't, so you're safe."

"Is it the plague?", he hurried to ask as she turned again.

She froze. Looked at him over her shoulder.

"What is?", she asked.

Delalieu inhaled. A frail breath.

"Is that what she's sick with?", he asked.

"The... p-plague…"

He tried again. Managing to bring more air into his lungs this time.

"Is it…  _the_ plague?"

He sounded so hopeless she was unsure if she was supposed to answer.

She took a deep breath. It sounded extra loud with the mask before her mouth.

"It's what the examination says. The syndromes point to it", she replied.

"But all I know is that all the doctors that treated her without protection is having to stay in quarantine. At least until we know that they weren't infencted."

They looked at each other for a few seconds.

"I need to go now", she said. Then she turned and hurried through the doors to help her colleagues. Leaving the lieutenant behind.

"Oh dear…", he said as the meaning started sinking in.

He found himself supporting himself against the wall. His balance lost. Slumping towards the floor.

He covered his face with his hands as he shuddered.

"Oh _dear God…_ ", he whispered.


	14. Day 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner in quarantine and Kenji in freaking mentioned :D

They had put him in quarantine.  _Quarantine_.

Sprung from Italy when the Italians demanded that the ships stayed out of harbor for forty days in case someone bore the plague.  _Quarantine_  from the Italian word for  _forty._

It was a word he thought would never be uttered in his sector. Of course it would always be possible for sicknesses to erupt within the compound. Stomach viruses or the flu could be hard to deal with during hot periods of the year. But sector 45 had a much too high hygienic standard for anything like that to ever happen. No one young and healthy had been sick with anything remotely dangerous since the establishment of the new living areas.

So how could it be that he, a trained, and perfectly healthy young man, had been locked into a room with two airlocks that sprayed the visitors with bacteria killers every time they went in and out?

Because one little girl, that  _should_ be even healthier than him, had coughed blood at him. She had become sick during the span of a week. A  _week_.

He had been informed now that they feared that the case was lung plague. The sickness that ended up taking more than ten percent of the earth's population ten years ago. They hadn't had the resources to find a cure fast enough and so many people had fallen victim. It had been worse in the poorer countries. And it had been one of the promises the Re establishment had given. And one of the few they managed to keep up.

Today almost everyone in the reestablishment were either immune from the first time around, or they were vaccinated.

So how could she be sick?

How could she, someone born around the conclusion of the epidemic, suddenly be sick?

Well he knew why-

_Crack_

The tip of his pencil snapped against the page. The black tip flying across the table top. The tiny collapse left a black mark and fragments of graphite on his report.

The report on why sector 45 had had to use quarantine measurements in the treatment of himself and this one girl.

He wasn't allowed a computer. If he proved to have been infected the computer's fan could apparently be a perfect farm for the bacteria. Not that he minded writing by hand. It required a sort of concentration that couldn't be provided by a keyboard.

He pushed out his chair and scanned his meek excuse for a desk for a pencil sharpener. He didn't find one. He even looked underneath to see that it hadn't fallen down.

They forgot to equip him with a pencil sharpener.

And the only other writing utensil he had was a ballpoint. He was not going to write a report in  _ballpoint_.

He crossed his arms. Took a deep breath.

Then, after letting it out, muttered:

"God damn it..."

* * *

"Tell me she's well enough to communicate with", he told his Lieutenant.

They were talking through a telephone with a window in between them. A window that removed any hope of complete privacy for the commander, and gave his subordinates something to play dare with. In the span of less than 48 hours he had seen Kishimoto's black hair dodge away thrice when he turned his head to look at the window. He had ordered a curtain of some kind, but the medics didn't seem to want to comply.

"Sir, she's s-still having a t-tube in her throat. We wouldn't be able to  _t-talk_  to her…", Delalieu meekly reminded.

Warner stifled a groan.

"Is she  _conscious_?", he asked instead. Putting his weight against the white wall beside him. All the walls were white. Everything was white in there.

Delalieu seemed to gather up his memories. Then he shrugged, blowing out some air that made his mustache ruffle.

"She's in and out, sir. They're g-giving her antibiotics and painkillers. She sleeps through most of it", the Lieutenant explained.

Warner was just about to ask what the painkillers were for, but then he remembered those ravage coughs she had endured.

"And when she isn't?", he asked.

Delalieu made a face.

"Blinking at the ceiling…", he replied.

"Have they found a reason for the blood?", Warner asked.

To his surprise Delalieu lightened up as if he actually had some good news for once.

"The doctors believe it's just f-friction in the lungs from the coughing", Delalieu explained. Nodding as he went.

"It happened to plague victims ten years back, too. They're going to treat it the same way."

Warner didn't tell Delalieu that that hypothesis was very implausible since the amount of blood was nowhere close to be from mere  _friction_. It was that the man seemed so happy over the fact that something was going towards the girl getting better.

He made a mental note to ask the doctor if this was their actual hypothesis or if they were just trying to make the old man feel better.

"Excellent", he said instead.

"Continue overseeing her progress, and continue providing me with copies of all the medical logbooks and results. Including my own", Warner ordered out, straightening from the wall.

"Myself will continue to organize that the family and her classmates are scanned for any sign of infection. We don't want this to spread. But considering that most of the population is vaccinated it probably won't give anything alarming."

Delalieu nodded.

"Anything else I c-can be of service of, sir?", he asked.

Warner didn't hesitate.

"Get me a pencil sharpener", he said. And when he saw the tiny frown of confusion he added,"And some more pencils. I should have an unopened package in my desk drawer."

Delalieu saluted

"Will d-do, sir."

Warner nodded, and then they both hung up the phone.


	15. Day 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner is out from quarantine. Kenji makes a longer, more detailed appearence.

Delalieu was standing outside the quarantine window. Not Warner's, but Alice'. Eyes glued on the white bed inside the window.

Everything was white in there. The walls, the doctors moving to and fro the bed; their masks, gloves and gowns; the sterile white bedding. With the pillow that was so big that she almost disappeared into it. Though there wasn't much to see of it underneath the oxygen mask anyway. It almost looked too big for her face.

The only notable color was the gray in her eyes, aimlessly searching the ceiling for some something that wasn't there, and the tired blond in the curls, falling around her face. Exhausted.

And the occasional red that flashed by in the slim tube that disappeared into her mouth.

"Poor thing, huh", someone said next to him.

He turned his head, startled, and saw one of the soldiers. It was the one that insisted on causing ruckus in the dining area every once in awhile. Kishimoto.

He was resting an arm against the glass, studying the movement within like an aquarium.

Delalieu blinked. Slightly stunned.

"S-sorry?", he asked.

Kishimoto shrugged then nodded at the girl.

"She's sick. Kids her age should be running around playing in the snow this time a year."

Then Kishimoto looked at the older man and made a motion with his hand that looked like a salute.

" _Lieutenant_."

Then he looked into the window again.

Delalieu returned his gaze to Alice. Then he felt himself nod in agreement.

"Yeah, they should..."

Then he remembered something. Kishimoto had no business being there. Unless he had some sort of medical service as a punishment for something he had done. But who would put such a soldier among medical supplies?

"What are you doing here?", he asked, giving the soldier a suspicious look.

"Well, since Warner was let out of quarantine I hadn't had anything to do during my breaks!", the soldier protested.

"Well that's good to know soldier. I'll make sure all your future breaks are assigned to polish my shoes, Kishimoto", someone said down the corridor.

Kishimoto spun around at the sound. And doing the same Delalieu saw that Warner wasapproaching them.

"Warner!", Kishimoto started, as if he was greeting an old time friend. Spreading his arms as if preparing for a hug.

"Get back to your duty unless you're looking for a permanent break."

And then Delalieu watched as Kishimoto quickly left the hospital corridor.

* * *

Warner joined Delalieu by the window. There was only a nurse in the room now, and she was changing the bag for the IV therapy.

Warner followed her with his gaze as she moved around the bed.

"How is it to be back from quarantine, sir?", Delalieu wondered.

"Quite nice actually. Since I had nothing to do I caught up with paperwork. Though I haven't finished the report concerning this  _particular concern_." He nodded into the room.

There was a pause in the conversation.

"Are they planning to remove the tube anytime soon?", He asked Delalieu. Turning his head to look at the man.

"N-not that I've heard, Sir. But I haven't asked...", Delalieu replied.

"I thought you were to oversee her progress, Delalieu", Warner remarked.

"O-of course, sir! I'm sorry…", Delalieu started, but stopped when he saw that Warner was staring at something. Delalieu followed his gaze and saw a pair of gray eyes looking at him.

Tired and glossy, but looking at him.  
Or them.  
Looking at them.

He felt like a deer in the headlights.

She raised a small hand to wave at them. A small, fluttery wave by the fingertips.

The spell broke but it took a second for him to wave back. The nurse noticed him as well, asked Alice something. Who made a small nod. And then gave Delalieu a wave as well.

Warner didn't wave. He just watched.

Alice let down her hand to lay over her stomach, her eyes still aimed at them, but it looked like she was falling asleep.

"I'd say that's an improvement", Warner commented as Delalieu returned his attention from within the window.

"I agree sir", Delalieu nodded.

Then they were both quiet for a few seconds. Then Delalieu blew some air through his mustache.

"Sir?", Delalieu asked.

"Yes Lieutenant?"

"How did the scan of the family and classmates go?"

"They showed no signs of infection", Warner replied. Then he cleared his throat a little before continuing.

"It's remarkable really how no one even caught it. According to the host mother, Martha Nelson, the girl had coughed up very small amounts of blood before I arrived that day. I can imagine Alice went outside because the cold air eased the pain. I'm not sure if I should report her for withholding that information from me..."

He paused.

"I didn't show any signs either, and I was exposed to the blood directly…", he said, more to himself.

" _Remarkable_ ", he repeated, his chin moving up and down, when Delalieu didn't contribute to the discussion. The man just stood silent, seeming to be deep in thought.

"I'll see you at dinner Lieutenant. Make sure to ask about the removal of the tube", he concluded.

"Sir", Delalieu saluted.


	16. Day 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner is grumpy about not knowing things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to add this when I first exported this fic to Ao3. Jesus, that gap must have been sooo confusing.

Warner was sitting by his desk. Elbows on the table. Hands knitted with the index and middle finger still out. His lips were resting against them.

His green eyes aimed on the report in front of him.

At the top in bold black letters:

_Medical report of Alice [blank], January 7th XXXX_

At the bottom

A signature from Doctor Veens.

He sat there and reread the lines one more time before a knock was heard against his door.

"Proceed", he called out, and straightened his posture.

Delalieu came in.

"Sir", he said and saluted.

"Lieutenant", Warner said, picking up the bundle of paper. He straightened them out by a flick of his hand and held them out towards the Lieutenant.

"Have you've read this report?", he asked.

"It's about the girl", he clarified when Delalieu just stared in confusion.

The older man took the cue to walk up to the desk and after some hesitation took the report into his hands. Scanning it with his gray eyes.

"No sir, this is my first time seeing this", he replied, handing it back to the commander.

"It's a report stating that her values are static", Warner told him. He put down the report on the table top.

He returned to his earlier pose.

He inhaled and let out a short breath.

"Do you understand what that means, Lieutenant?", he asked.

Delalieu shook his head.

"N-no, sir", he replied.

Warner stared forward.

"It means the treatment isn't working", he answered, curt.

He counted the seconds for the meaning to sink in.

"Oh…"

It took three.

"What are…"

"She didn't have lung plague", Warner answered before the question was even said.

"Doctor Veens has analyzed the bacteria from the mucus in her lungs. It turns out it's a mutated version." He looked to his lieutenant. He noticed that the older man's moustache was quivering. Like a leaf in autumn, just before it fell of.

"I assume you have enough knowledge in Biology to know what that means."

Delalieu, who had gotten paler by the moments, nodded.

"It has evolved, so it's worse now. The old v-vaccine is useless...", he said.

Warner halted him with a move of his hand.

"That's where you're wrong, Lieutenant. No one but Alice has been infected. Everyone else we scanned were immune or vaccinated. We talked about this before. But  _it has evolved_. It would be worse for them who actually gets infected. Considering what happened ten years ago we don't want to imagine what would happen if it spread again. I will have to organize a mass scan of the civilians to make sure no one is sick", he told his Lieutenant.

"If no one is sick we have nothing to worry about since it would prove that it won't spread. That the immunity is still working", he said.

" _But_ ", he continued, and Delalieu wasn't surprised that there were bad news to this as well.

"This is still going to be a case with mutated plague. We will have to alert the whole Re establishment about this. And there's one detail we don't have accounted for."

Delalieu knew what it was before Warner said it.

"Her origin", he filled in.

Warner stared ahead, but they both knew.

"Precisely, Lieutenant."

Warner pushed out his chair at this. The wheels against the floor startling Delalieu. Warner pulled out one of his drawers and took out another bundle of documents. He put it on the desktop and closed the drawer.

He gave it a tap with his finger.

"This is a report I've written concerning our first encounter with the girl", he said.

"I never sent it, hoping that we would find her origin before that. But her sickness was never a part of my plan…"

His green eyes aimed themselves at Delalieu.

"We can not tell them that we found her sitting in my office. It would raise too many questions for us to handle." He took a pause.

"Sir, what are we going t-to tell them?", Delalieu asked.

Warner already had a prepared answer.

"We're going to tell them that we found her by the train station.  _Wandering the tracks_  I'd add to make sure her confusion is accounted for. We'll tell them you found her during one of your patrols, since you actually were by the train station that day. You brought her back to base for questioning. We placed her in the compound since she wouldn't reveal anything of detail. Two weeks later she succumbed to sickness. Our theory is that she came with a train, but she's not giving us any leads on where she actually came from because of amnesia. It's not foolproof, but it's next to."

"The soldiers, sir?", Delalieu wondered.

Warner gave a half nod.

"As long as no one thinks too deeply about how she got here the first time we should be fine. No one besides us know that she was in my office when we found her. Unless you have discussed this with anyone of course", Warner added eyeing the Lieutenant.

"N-no, sir", Delalieu assured.

Warner nodded again.

"Excellent. The only witnesses we have are the soldiers who were outside the surveillance room. But they said that she  _came walking_ , so there's nothing alarming about that."

"What do you want me to do, sir?", Delalieu asked.

"Write a report on your own featuring how you found her by the train and how you brought her in. You may add how she  _ran around_ on the base, but be clear that she didn't tell us anything that we could actually use. You may add your own hypothesis that she originates from Scandinavia."

Delalieu nodded, already thinking of what to write.

"Take my report with you", Warner added, picking it up again and handing it to him.

"We need them to synchronize in some way. Try and get to it as soon as possible."

Delalieu took it and saluted with the other hand.

"Will do, sir", he said.

Warner turned back to his desk saying:  
"You are dismissed."


	17. Day 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner sends a report and gets a note. And is then very excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this wasn't here before...

The report was sent. All they had to do now was wait.

What Warner wanted to do was to sit by his phone and wait for someone to call about the report. Since there was bound to be someone asking him what on earth he thought he was running in sector 45. But he had other things to do.

* * *

"Doctor Veens", he called out as he approached the white coated man further down the corridor. He had already been to the head of medic's office finding it empty, so he had had to take a small walk around the medical corridor to actually find him.

Said Doctor turned around at the sound of his name. He was somewhere between thirty and forty in age. Rat blond hair, brown eyes. The man in charge of the medical wing.

"Ah, Chief commander", he said. Giving him a nod. He had the same look of constant fatigue all doctors wore.

"What owes me the pleasure?"

"How are things going?", Warner asked as he came up to him. These days things consisted of everything between Alice's wellbeing, to the progress of the mass scan, to the health of the sector overall.

"The scan is promising", was all Veens said. He handed a clipboard to Warner where medical reports were shown. All within the last day.

"No one is showing any signs whatsoever. We have a few more to conclude, but it's almost certain that the immunity is full towards both the lung plague and this one."

"And the analysis of the mutation?", Warner asked as his eyes scrolled over the results.

_Negative negative negative_

Veens clicked his tongue.

"We're tracking the mutation right now. Since the treatment for the original virus isn't working it must have changed its target. We need to know the target to create a treatment", he explained.

"But we're getting there", he assured when he saw Warner's sceptic look.

"How is she?", Warner wondered, handing back the clipboard.

"Bored", Veens replied.

Warner had to take a double take on that answer.

" _Bored_?", he repeated.

"Yup,  _bored_ ", Veens assured.

"Who can blame her? She has nothing to do in there", Veens continued.

Seeing that Warner's frown wasn't easing up he shrugged.

"Even sick children get bored, sir. I actually gave her a pad of papers and a few pens to entertain herself with. But I think she's still a bit too tired to put that much energy into it."

Warner tried imagining that. A child too tired to draw. How was he supposed to picture Alice like that?

To try and please this new need he bid Doctor Veens adieu and headed for Alice's room.

* * *

She was asleep again.

Her chest lifting in small puffs of air. One arm was slung above her head on the pillow.

Warner cocked his head at the odd bend of it. Still it was comfortable at the same time. The other was hidden underneath the cover, but you could see the fingers below her cheek. Gently supporting the weight of her head.

She did look tired. But her rest look so completely at peace and in comfort that he almost couldn't tell that she was still sick.

The mask ruined that image. The transparent plastic turned foggy with every small breath.

He turned to leave, he didn't have any further business there. But he barely took two steps before he was interrupted by an urgent knock on the glass window.

He spun around, bewildered and surprised, and saw a nurse standing by the window. Her hand still raised from her knocking. Her gloved hand in a fist.

Their eyes met. The nurse was lost for a few seconds. Since they couldn't speak with each other through the glass he just raised his eyebrows in a demand to know what she wanted.

She snapped out of whatever daze she was in and quickly went to the side table by the bed.

Warner followed her, quite confused about what was going on. He leaned forwards and peered into the room, seeing the nurse shuffle around a few papers laying on top. When she didn't find what she was looking for she gently opened the drawer. She quickly fished out an A4 and returned to the window, the paper in her hand.

He had to back away a little when she brought her hand up to hold something against the glass.

It was a slip of paper, torn on one side.

It took too long for him to realize there was something written on it. In thin pencil. The handwriting was round and neat, but he had to move closer and felt his eyes squint. What he read made them widen again.

It read:  _Alice Sjögren_.

* * *

He almost tripped when he ran to the archives. Leaving the nurse behind with not as much as a thank you.

"O'lander!", he snapped when he entered, knowing the soldier was still on archive duty. Once again causing a chair to scramble about in the back.

"Commander Warner?"

He strode past the cupboards without waiting for a salute.

"I have a new task for you", he announced. He realized his excitement must have been showing, because O'lander was staring at him with a quite perplexed look in his eyes.

The way he held the back of the chair. His light pant. His eyes being a little too wide.

For God sake he was almost smiling!

He ignored it.

"You're going to research every female citizen named..." He trailed some after that. He grabbed a pen and a notebook lying open on the desk and wrote  _Alice Sjögren_  with capital letters.

"This name", he said and tapped it. Straightening from the desk.

The soldier leaned forward and read it.

"What's that letter sir?", he asked, frowning. Referring to the o with two dots above it.

"Does it matter soldier?", Warner wondered.

"Not really, sir…"

"Get to work then", he ordered. By then he had calmed down enough to return to his commander self.

"This is essential for the work of the Re establishment", he added.

He turned to leave, having another report to start on, when O'lander called out.

"Sir. when you say every female named Alice, um,  _Showgreen_ , do you mean-"

" _Every female in the archives_? Yes, yes that's what I mean", Warner finished for him without looking back. He didn't tell him to start with the ages between ten and twelve. If O'lander couldn't figure that out himself Warner didn't understand why he was working in the archive to begin with.

He left, certain that his days of frustration were starting to come to an end.


	18. Day 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice is getting slightly better. Warner does top-notch interegation. Delalieu is fluffy :3

"Sir, I have news!", Delalieu announced when he lowered his hand in salute.

The commander only sign of interest was a quick turn of his head. Green eyes alert.

"Speak lieutenant", he invited.

"They're taking the respiratory tube out, sir." Delalieu was excited. Even if they had discovered her last name there hadn't been much development in the research of her origin. All they had come up with was that  _Sjögren_  was definitely a Scandinavian last name. Together with the fact that the research of the mutated plague was at a standstill the Chief commander was getting restless. So was the higher ups.

"Is she getting better?", he wondered.

Delalieu's excitement blued a little.

"They say that she's not getting worse by taking the t-tube out", he explained.

Which meant the tube wasn't helping at all, Warner remarked. He dismissed the thought.

"And the blood has ceased too?", he asked.

"They never actually  _said_  that, b-but it's much less of it for sure", Delalieu replied.

Warner hadn't actually been there to witness this progress, but he took the Lieutenant's word for it.

"I will be the one to speak with her first." It wasn't a question.

The lieutenant nodded in assurance.

"We assumed that that's what you wanted, sir", he said.

Warner looked at the paperwork in front of him. Thought for a few moments.

"When will they proceed?", he asked.

"She needs to be a-asleep when they pull it out, they'll just give her some sedatives for that. Then she's going to need some time to wake up. As of when can probably be planned to suit the commander…", Delalieu explained.

Warner thought over his schedule for the day.

"They don't have enough time to do this before my lunch meeting, correct?", Warner asked. Referring to the medics.

Both of them looked at the time. Quarter past eleven.

Delalieu frowned, Warner tsked his tongue in impatience.

"Starting near the end of the meeting? It's planned to be two hours", Warner suggested.

"I'm sure we can arrange it, sir", Delalieu assured.

Warner nodded again.

"Excellent", he said.

"I want you to oversee the whole procedure, Lieutenant."

Delalieu had startled in surprise.

"You are supervising her progress", Warner reminded.

"Ah…", Delalieu exhaled. Then straightened.

"Y-yes, of course sir!", he nodded.

"Go inform the medics of our arrangement", Warner ordered out.

Delalieu saluted and was then dismissed.

* * *

"Here", one of the nurses said.

"Huh?"

She was holding out a white rectangle for him. They were both standing outside the window. She had just come out from the room.

Delalieu had watched the whole thing, as instructed. The sedative had been injected and she had fallen asleep. After making sure she slept deep enough they removed the tube; keeping a stethoscope against her chest during the whole procedure. Everything passed with no complications whatsoever.

She made a motion with her hand for him to take it.

He obeyed.

The rectangle was made out of folded, soft white fabric. There were two straps out of cotton attached to either sides. He looked at it. Unsure of what it was.

"Put it on before you go in", she instructed.

He stared at it for a few seconds, to embarrassed to ask what on earth it was she had given him. But when he looked up to finally ask he realized she was wearing the exact same thing.

A white medical mask; completely covering her mouth.

Her eyebrows were raised.

"Do you need any help with that sir?", she asked.

He shook his head.

"N-no I'm fine…!", he assured her.

She gave him a curt nod.

"Good, then you can come right in when you're ready."

He didn't catch the meaning at first. Instead he tugged out the two straps and brought them behind his ears. Covering his mouth and nose with the white piece of fabric. There was a sticky line along the edge that he had to run his fingers over to make sure there were no gaps.

Then he had to pause. Thought about what she had said for a moment, and understood what she was suggesting. His eyes widened.

"W-wait, can I really go in there?", he asked, making a move with his head towards the window.

The nurse nodded.

"Since you're immune to the former plague you'll be completely fine. The mask is more of a standard procedure", she waved off.

He blinked a few times.

"Forgive me for asking, but... why me?"

A smile broke out on her face.

"Why, you've been here every day since she got here, sir! And to be honest, she would be happier to wake up to see you than the Chief commander."

He felt his cheeks heat up in a blush. Luckily the white mask was already on, so the nurse didn't notice. Or at least it hoped it didn't show.

"You have to take of your shoes though", she said, giving his feet a look.

"O-oh, okay", he nodded and immediately bent down to untie them.

The nurse halted him by a hand on his arm.

"You can wait with that until we're inside the adjoined room, sir", she said.

He straightened up again.

"Mhm…!", he nodded. Doubting that the mask could cover up his embarrassment any longer.

"Come with me", the nurse said and gestured for the door the doctors and nurses always walked through. He followed.

* * *

The mask made everything smell like diapers. Not in a bad way. It was the smell of clean, white diapers. He caught himself feeling a tinge of nostalgia with every small inhale of his nose.

Warner did not seem to enjoy the smell quite as much.

He had arrived as soon as the meeting had ended and was now standing against a wall. Arms crossed over his chest.

Delalieu was sitting in a chair by the bed.

Both were waiting for some kind of sign of awakening.

"Alice?", Delalieu asked. His voice quiet.

The only other sound in the room was the rattling of the air pump. The mask was gone now, but they kept an oxygen mask by the bed just in case.

She didn't wake up.

"Alice?", he repeated. After some hesitation he reached forward and shook her a little by the shoulder.

She stirred at that. Gray eyes slowly fluttering open. After some blinking they found his.

A little glossy. Only half awake.

He was sitting on a chair by the bed. His uniform jacket was draped over the back of the chair.

She stared at him.

He smiled at her surprised look. She hadn't expected to see him.

"How do you feel, dear?", he asked.

A shadow of a depressing reminder passed over her face, but it cleared up in remembrance as soon as it came. All she had to do was to swallow and realize the difference. She tried a small gentle, but firm, exhale. It rattled, but she didn't dive into a coughing fit either.

As she took in this newfound freedom of her airways he turned around and nodded for Warner.

"Can she sit up?", the commander asked. He went to the wall and brought another chair with him to the other side of the bed.

Delalieu looked at Alice for some sort of answer. She seemed to check her condition, then shook her head.

Warner saw this as well.

"No problem", he sighed and sat down

"Stay laid down."

"So, Alice. You wrote down your name on a piece of paper the other day, didn't you?", Warner started.

Alice immediately knew what he was talking about. Her eyes lighting up a little.

"Alice…  _Showgreen_?"

" _Sjögren_ ", she corrected. It sounded like  _Shh-ugh-gr-en_  (like  _en_ cyclopedia). Her voice was quiet and gentle, careful of not letting too much air out at once. It was clear it took a lot of effort to utter the small word.

"Exactly", Warner nodded, even though he had had no idea how the name was supposed to be pronounced.

"We're already working on finding your origin. But since you can talk now it would make things much easier if you filled in some things for me", he continued.

"Though  _talk_  might be a bit of an over statement", he corrected himself.

Alice hummed, seeming to be on the same track.

Warner flipped open a notepad and clicked the bottom of a ballpoint he had gotten from his pocket.

"So, where did you come from when you showed up in my office more than a month ago?", he asked, straight to the point.

"Because you're not from sector 45, are you?"

She looked at him a little strangely. She didn't answer.

"Alice…", Delalieu perked in, making her shift her attention to him.

"You once told me that it was ' _a lot colder where you were from_ '. Remember? You had given your gloves to the boy in your house, so your hands were cold." He retold, looking between her and the commander, who was watching the conversation.

Alice nodded after remembering.

" _Where_  is that...? Where you're from", Delalieu asked.

She brightened up at that.

"Sweden", she answered.

"I'm from... Sweden", she said, having to take a short break in the middle of the sentence. But the glossy layer over her eyes cleared up a little, her excited healthy self flicker by, even for just a second.

The two men shared a look.

"Good…", Warner said making a small notation on his paper.

"But where were you before coming here?", he asked.

"How did you get to sector 45?"

Alice just blinked.

"Well if you're from Sweden you must have come here. How did you get here?", he asked.

She shifted her gaze as she seemed to think it over.

The two gentlemen waited. They saw how Alice frowned a little. She put a hand on her head, frown deepening. She looked troubled all of a sudden.

"Alice?", Delalieu asked. He touched her forehead with the back of his hand to see if she was catching a fever.

She did feel a little warm.

"I don't…", she said. Fumbling over the words.

The two shared another look.

"How are you feeling Alice?", Warner asked, lowering the note pad.

"Tired…", she replied. Her frowning changed to heavy blinking. It looked like she was mere seconds from falling asleep.

"Maybe we should continue this some other time…", Warner suggested.

"Yes, she probably needs to rest some more after the sedatives…", Delalieu agreed.

Warner aimed his eyes at the sick girl again. "I'll come back when I have the time", he said. Then he rose and went out, not waiting for Delalieu. The door closed behind him.

Delalieu was just about to scoot back the chair to rise when he felt something touch his hand. He looked down in surprise and saw Alice's hand have contact with his own.

A pair of fingertips.

Barely brushing against him.

He tensed some.

They were too cold. Looking at Alice he saw that she was looking at him with tired eyes. They were still a little glossy, but awake. Still blinking to fight sleep.

He relaxed. Then gently, and with some caution, he let his fingers cover hers. Then, as gently, he closed it. His thumb starting to rub the side of her hand to alter some warmth.

"You're doing a great job, dear", he said, quietly.

"You'll get well in no time, you'll see."

He felt a small push inside his palm. Reassuring? Agreeing? Whatever it was it made him feel better.

"Just rest now", he said and watched as her eyes closed. He sat there with his thumb rubbing her hand until her breaths deepened and he was sure she was asleep. When they did he gently let go of her hand. Then he reached for the mask and put it on with the rubber band around her head; figuring it would be foolish to leave her without it. It amazed him that she didn't wake up.

* * *

Pushing back his chair a second time that day he stood up, took his jacket, hung it over his arm and headed for the door. But as he reached for the handle he felt a tug. Not a literal tug to his sleeve, but it was  _something_. Something that had halted his hand.

He looked back at Alice. At the crease between her eyes. At her hand lying on the white sheets. Small. Lonely.

There it was again. The tug.

Then realization struck him cold.

He didn't want to leave her alone.

He wanted to be there when she woke up again.

He shifted the weight of his feet. He had things to discuss with Warner. It was his job to assist the chief commander in these sorts of situations.

But his hand still hovered above the handle.

He blew a short huff through his moustache, sounding a bit odd with the mask still on. He made a decision.

Quickly, because the commander was waiting for him outside, he returned to the bed. Then he tucked her in, pulling the duvet up to her chin, folding it in over itself along her sides. Making sure to cover her hand in the process, to keep it warm.

When he deemed it finished he felt her forehead again; it wasn't any different. He made a small nod. It would have to do. For now.

Then he left. Giving her one last look through the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Delalieu like this has probably ruined his canon counterpart for me   
> It's worth it though TTuTT


	19. Day 37 later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner returns for some answers!

It was the second time he was in Alice's hospital room that day; and he did not want to make it a habit. He and Delalieu had had a long discussion whether they should have contacted the European embassy right away or to wait and question Alice about the missing info themselves.

They had decided to wait.

Now he was equipped with a sheet similar to a police report or a missing person fill out he had been given by O'lander. He had already taken the leverage to fill in Name, Sex, Eye color, Hair color, together with estimated Height and Weight. (By simply deeming that she could  _not_  weigh more than his eighty pound punching bag.) But to his own surprise he had to skip over Age. Alice had not mentioned it to him at any time.  
Not that he had spent that much time with her to begin with. But if he had to take a wild guess she was probably ten.

He sat waiting by her bedside, one legged crossed over the other. She had stirred a little when he came in, but hadn't minded him in any other way. By now he had been there for an additional ten minutes and she still hadn't woken up. He had been informed to let her wake up at her own pace; but he had better things to do.

"Alice?", he asked. Leaning forwards as her eyes fluttered a little at the sound of his voice.

"Time to wake up", he said. It was the closest thing he could come to coaxing someone to wake up.

She blinked a little at the light, not as groggily as earlier, but it was clear that she would have slept for a lot longer if she had had the chance. Now she looked irritated over being woken up.

"Good morning", he told her.

"How are you feeling?"

She aimed her eyes at him and her look changed from startled to something he had not seen coming.

It was the look  _pure_ disappointment.

She tugged at the oxygen mask.

"Where's… Lu?", she asked in the same soft voice from before. Though the softness was ruined by her frown.

She was obviously referring to the Lieutenant. Was he offended that a little girl preferred a moustached old man before himself? No, not really. But he couldn't deny that it did surprise him that she asked for him in the first place.

"I'm afraid it will just be you and me, Alice. And you better get comfortable, because I have a lot of questions I need answers to. This needs to be completely filled in", he said and flicked the paper for effect.

"And you're the only one with those answers", he said and gestured for her with his pen.

Her glare did not ease up, but she seemed to settle with the situation at hand. She scooted up against her pillow and started stretching her arms; as one does when they wake up.

"So, how are you feeling?", he repeated. He wasn't actually that interested, but they had to warm up with something.

"Not as tired…", she replied.

"And your lungs?"

"Hurts. A lot", she said and made a small cough to demonstrate. Even if he had been proven immune it felt better that he was thankful for the mask.

"Doctor Veens said you'll be performing a CAT-scan first thing tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get some info on their condition", he said.

"What's a…  _cat scan_?", she asked.

"It's like an X-ray."

She cocked her head to the side, a small sparkle of playfulness showed in her eyes.

"Why' they called...", pause for cough,"... _cat_ scans?", she wondered.

He shrugged.

"It stands for something."

Then, quickly before she could start asking if there were  _dog_  scans as well, he asked:"How old are you?"

She gave a small huff, but did not fuss.

"Eleven", she said. Then he hadn't been too far off.

"And your birthday?", he asked while filling in the blank spaces.

"Twenty first…  _July_ …"

"Good. Now, what sector are you from?", he asked. This was where they had been intrupted last time.

She blinked at him, like before. He did not like it.

"Is that like… a province?", she asked.

"No, a sector is about the size of a city. We're in sector 45 right now. Do you know what number your sector has?", he urged.

She shook her head.

"I don't know…", she said, clearly troubled.

"Are you  _sure_? This is really important", he told her.

" _Yes_ ", she said.

"But it's a sector in Sweden, yes?"

She nodded.

"I'm from Sweden", she assured.

He cursed in his head. So far he only had her birthday.

"How about your ID number, do you know it?", he asked referring to the cards all legal citizens were equipped with. She hadn't had one when she came there, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

She shook her head, but then added.

"It's  _mamma_  who knows it…"

His head whipped up.

" _Your mother_?", he asked.

Alice gave him a startled little nod.

Why hadn't he thought of that before? a quiet voice asked in his head.

"What's her name?", he asked.

" _Her name!_ ", he snapped when she took too long answering. She had just sat there staring at him.

"I…", she went, slightly put off by his mood. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I don't know…", she mumbled.

A pause.

" _What?_ "

He felt like snapping his pen in half. Too bad the ink would ruin his slacks.

"You don't know your own mother's name?!"

"I always… say  _Mamma_ to her…", Alice tried reasoning, but she didn't even seem to believe it herself.

"That's no excuse…!", he told her. Then he remembered something.

" _What about your father_?", he said.

The look she gave him made him reconsider if it was worth breaking the pen.

Another pause. Another moment for Alice to think. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her eyes darting across the duvet as she frantically searched her memory. He knew the answer before she opened her mouth.

"I don't remember…", she said with her voice breaking. Her gray eyes widened in horror of her own violation. And he realized too late that she was starting to cry.

" _I don't remember…"_ , she sniffed.

He could hear how her esophagus was starting to clog up with tears. Small round tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin to land on the duvet. Causing small dark dots to pop up here and there.

" _Jag vill ha min mamma och pappa_ …!", she whimpered. Her small voice climbing in so many octaves that he almost cringed at the pain in his ears. Luckily he didn't; because that would be insensitive. The words had been Swedish, but it didn't require a translator to understand what she meant.

* * *

" _Hey now...!_ ", he said and snapped his finger in front of her face to distract her from her misery.

She looked up in confusion, more tears dripping with a share of startled blinking.

"Stop crying", he ordered. He got a handkerchief from his pocket, took her right hand and pushed the folded white square into it. Giving it a firm squeeze to make sure she held onto it.

"Dry yourself up. Then, when you've calmed down, you can at least give me a description of you parents."

Her mouth became a line and she sniffed, but seemed to collect herself. But she couldn't help but to hiccup at his scowl.

"We do have their last names", he continued, his voice softer. He readjusted his seat after the small ordeal and lifted his pen.

"But it won't hurt to add a description. It probably won't take very long considering they're looking for you just as hard."

Alice gave him an eager nod and lifted the handkerchief to her eyes. He really hoped it was the case; what else were they supposed to do with her when she got healthy again?

He flipped over the paper and wrote:  _parents_

"Well then: What does you mother look like?"

He had to wait for Alice to dry her eyes and take a few breaths with the oxygen mask, but he managed to get it out of her.

_Mother: Brown hair, brown/green eyes, below 6ft, around 40, technician._

_Father: Dirty blond, blue eyes, around 6ft, also around 40, teacher._

* * *

Alice was still sniffing by the end of that conversation. If Delalieu had been there he probably would have done a better job, but Warner did not have time, or the mindset, to comfort crying children.

"Thank you very much, Alice", he said and nodded at his neat handwriting. This was sure to bring some sort of progress. And something to report to the higher ups.

"One last question before we're done though", he said as Alice started scooting down, as if ready to go back to sleep.

"Hmm?", she hummed.

"How did you come to sector 45, if you're from Sweden?"

She blinked.

"Didn't I say that... before?", she wondered.

He was actually caught off guard for a moment. Had she really? But when he thought back he shook his head.

"No, you were too tired", he told her.

She suddenly looked very discouraged. It did not contribute to the commander's mood.

"Well?", he asked.

For a moment it looked like as if she was going to start crying again.

"I don't… I don't know… I don't remember"

* * *

A pen did die that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R.I.P pen


	20. Day 37 mere seconds later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warner shares theories with da Doctor

"Can high fever cause amnesia?", Warner asked.

As soon as he got out of Alice's room (after shortly bidding her a good evening) he went to find Doctor Veens.

" _Nope_ ", Doctor Veens replied, his eyes aimed at the clipboard in his hand. But by the flick of his pen there was something more to it.

"But lack of oxygen to the brain  _can_ ", he said and made a subtle point motion at the chief commander with said pen.

" _Lack of oxygen_?", Warner repeated.

He thought back to a week ago. The snow. The blood. How she had struggled to breath. But had it been so extreme that she hadn't gotten any air into her lungs?

"Was that enough to cause such damage?", he wondered.

Veens pursed his lips and gave him a mindful look.

"She was in a very bad condition when she came in, sir. Without the tube she wouldn't have been breathing at all; so maybe there was some damage to the brain. We'll be able to take a look with the CAT-scan tomorrow. We never thought to consider any brain damage, she has seemed very healthy; but if she has amnesia like you're saying there might something to it. If there's any lasting damage we'll have a problem", he said.

Yes, Warner agreed, that  _would_  be a problem. But it would excuse Alice not remembering her own parents' first names. And her sector. And how she got to sector 45.

But more importantly...

"Will it wear off?", Warner asked.

"What will?", the doctor asked. His attention had managed to drift back to the medical report.

" _The amnesia_? Will she remember again?"

The doctor sighed, as if he had better things to do. Which he probably had with trying to find a plague treatment. He crossed his arms, tucking the clipboard under his arm.

"If there has been damage to the brain I can't actually say, sir. If there hasn't she can hopefully recover."

Warner nodded. Clicked his tongue. He ran over his schedule in his head, he didn't have much time before his sector meeting.

"I want an immediate report from the CAT-scan tomorrow, Doctor", he said.

Doctor Veens just nodded at him, returning his attention to the clipboard, his other hand giving him a dismissive wave.

"Of course, sir."

The commander left.


	21. Day 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veens shows Warner the results from the CAT scan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER! I'm not a doctor. Or a medic student. I'm making this up as I go with some support from Wikipedia articles. If someone happens to be an expert concerning lungs, feel free to correct and educate me :)

“So if you look at the screen you can see that  _ this part of the lung... _ ”, the doctor said and gestured for the gray  _ shape _ . He reminded Warner of a weather man presenting tomorrow's forecast.

“You can see that the alveoli,  _ this right here _ ”, he used the tip of his pen to bring attention to the small, barely circular, shadows in one corner of the larger shape. 

“...are damaged.”

“Damaged  _ how _ ?”, Warner asked. 

He had been called out of his breakfast meeting to be informed that they had had a breakthrough concerning the plague. He had been in there for fifteen minutes and he still had no idea of what they were talking about.

A few nurses were milling about in the background of the room, but it was Doctor Veens who was guiding him through it.

“It’s an extreme case of  _ COPD, _ if that tells you anything”, Veens said.

“It  _ doesn't _ ”, Warner curtly replied. He sat down in an awaiting chair by one of the desks, tired of having to stand up like a medicine student.

“So please enlighten me”, he continued.

“COPD, short for  _ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease _ , is when the walls in the alveoli;  _ the walls that take up oxygen _ ”, he clarified,” _ Break _ because of mucus in the lungs.”

The chief commander could agree that it sounded bad. And painful. 

“You mentioned  _ an extreme case _ …”, Warner reminded.

“COPD was, and still is, a common lung diseases among ordinary citizens. It occurs in heavily air polluted areas, and among chainsmokers”, the doctor explained.

“But that's after about twenty years of untreated lungs. Our Alice developed it during the span of two weeks.”

“ _ Two weeks? _ ”

The doctor shrugged. 

“According to Mrs Nelson that’s when the blood started appearing.”

Suddenly ‘extreme’ seemed like a very appropriate choice of wording. Two weeks. How long would the rest of the population have if they weren’t immune?

“But there are good news as well!”, the doctor assured as he saw Warner's grim look.

“With this discovery we now know where the mutation is located,  _ to attack the alveoli _ . And since we are already familiar with COPD we may actually be able to treat her! Which is good, because that means more lung tissue can be saved.”

Warner felt his face go from annoyed to confused.

“Doctor, when you say  _ saved… _ ?”

“There has been permanent damage to the lungs, sir. As you can see…  _ here _ ”, he showed on the screen while returning to the lecturing tone of voice. 

It was a dark rim to the shape where he pointed. It was mesmerising. How could something so dark and foreboding reside inside of that blonde little girl? 

“This tissue is dying, and will be dead in a few days”, Veens informed him.

“How will she be affected?”, Warner heard himself ask. 

“When we’re rid of the plague we’ll have to remove the dead tissue.”

“Why wait?”, Warner wondered.

“If we operate before she’s health _ ier _ there’s a risk of drawing more infections”, Veens said,”Which could kill her.”

“But if you wait more tissue may be damaged, correct?”, Warner questioned. He looked at the screen. The dying  _ alveoli _ stared back at him with their dark color.

“ _ Sir _ , the human body only uses about a third of the lung capacity”, Veens told him.  

“People have had one of two lungs completely removed and survived. Alice have lost five percent so far, will lose ten percent  _ at most _ . Which leaves  _ ninety percent _ . She won’t suffer from anything besides being weaker against other infections.”

“That does not sound reassuring, Doctor”, Warner commented, but did get ready to leave. He had heard everything he needed to hear. He rose from his chair and headed towards the door.

“I want a long and detailed report explaining everything you just said that I can send to capitol, doctor!”, he announced from over his shoulder. 

“As always, sir”, the doctor assured. 

 

He was one step outside the door when he remembered something. He spun around on his heel and looked back in. 

“Wait!”, Warner shouted.

The nurses jumped. Veens looked a little surprised, but nodded for him to continue. 

“Did you look at her brain?”, he demanded.

“ _ Ah _ ”, Veens said as he remembered.

“Yes. There was no damage”, he replied.

A beat.

“What?”

“As far as we can detect there was no damage to the girl’s brain. Which is something  _ good _ commander.”

Warner realized he was scowling. 

“But her amnesia…!”, he started. Like a protesting child he realized too late. 

“ _ Sir _ ”, the doctor hurried to flick in,”There are other causes for amnesia.”

“ _ Such as? _ ”, he snapped.

“Shock”, Veens said.

“ _ Shock _ ?”, Warner dittoed.

“Yes, sir,  _ shock _ . Trauma to the psyke”, he said and tapped his temple with the pen. 

“I’ve heard a few examples of soldiers returning from battles not remembering their own name or that they’re even soldiers to begin with. Remember commander, she could have died that day if you hadn’t found her when you did. She saw her own blood being coughed up; don’t you think that leaves some mental scars for an eleven year old?”

Warner took a minute to think this new possibility through.

“And how long does it take to recover from that?”, he asked.

The doctor shrugged.

“Depends I think. I’m not a therapist, but I’d say it differs. She’s in a completely new setting from what she’s trying to remember, normally amnesia victims have their family with them to remind them who they are and how their life looked like before the trauma. We don’t have that privilege.” 


	22. Day 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long one this time :D  
> Warner and his crew of suits discuss Alice.  
> Delalieu reveals his first name :3  
> Oh, and Alice signs some important papers.

 

"We have a problem", Warner said.

Delalieu looked up from sorting his reports with a slightly alarmed look. In sector 45 a problem could mean almost anything from forgetting a pen to having an uprising amongst the civilians.

"A problem, sir?", he wondered as the conversations around the table died down.

Warner picked up a clip of documents and tossed it to slide over to the lieutenant.

"A signature", he said just in time for the bundle of paper to come to a halt before the lieutenant. The sergeant next to him, Johnsson, leaned over a little to have a look.

"Signature?", Delalieu repeated in bewilderment.

He was looking at a consent for surgery contract, and at first he couldn't find what was missing. He was flicking the page and to look some more when Johnsson perked up beside him.

"There's no consent from the guardian."

And indeed, the line at the bottom of the page was clean.

"Correct", Warner said from over the head of the table.

"Is this about the girl?", someone asked from across the table.

"Yes", Warner replied.

Plenty of meetings had been dedicated to discuss the plague research and the measures that were to be taken with the civilians, so the ongoing and fruitless search for her origin weren't news for the base.

And before someone could comment that this wasn't written up as a topic to discuss he added:

"I thought it was ready to be sent further on, but apparently we're missing the actual consent."

There was a pause amongst the men around the table.

"Do we really need such a consent?", a third asked.

The whole table turned their heads to look at the speaker. A Sergeant.

He cleared his throat at the sudden attention, especially from the burning gaze of the chief commander.

"The parents aren't located", he agreed to no one in particular,"But is that really a problem considering we have full authority over the civilians?", he wondered.

"That's another problem, Morgans", Warner said.

"She's not a citizen of the Re establishment, and we do not have  _any_  power over her."

A hush fell over the table with the young chief commander at the top, daring anyone to speak up with his piercing green eyes.

It was Delalieu who dared to break the silence.

"Sir…", he said, and he suddenly felt 24 pair of eyes looking at him. He felt a light sweat break out on him. But he focused on the blond. He cleared his throat.

"Sir", he repeated a little clearer,"Considering that she's a subject of research and medication, for plague research none the less; it's inevitable that she must be granted custody, with or without the parents knowledge; assuming that the parents are alive."

It was something they had discussed. It wasn't the fact that Alice description led to nothing, but that no one had stepped forward and asked for  _her_. They had stepped forward with publishing her missing person to most sectors in, what used to be, Scandinavia and North America. But it hadn't shown any results either. He had never lifted the idea to Alice, and he wasn't planning to either.

Warner listened, and then his finger starting tapping against the table. Signalling that he was thinking.

The men sat in silence and waited.

Warner suddenly released the deep breath he had been holding, straightened his posture and said:

"Delalieu."

"Yes sir?", Delalieu said.

"Set Private O'lander to research the necessary procedures after the meeting", he ordered. Then as if the topic had never interrupted the meeting, he opened the protocol and thus started the meeting.

Delalieu said a quiet 'yes sir' as he slid the contract back to Warner, which he swiftly caught and put away.

* * *

She was sitting in the bed behind a mountain of folded over duvet when he came in.

"Hi Mr Delalieu", she greeted in a gentle voice. The treatment, or the first-face-treatment as Veens had explained it, had been initiated. It had only been a few days but it was already showing results. She didn't spend the daylight hours sleeping anymore. The mucus in her lungs had thinned out as well, making it easier for her to breath without pausing to cough. Even if he hadn't had much time to visit her since then he knew that she enjoyed it very much.

"Good morning miss!", Delalieu greeted back as he closed the door behind him.

"But I guess that will be Miss  _Sjögren_  from now on", he smiled as he sat down by the bed. Neatly pushing in his chair. As he looked up again he saw that Alice didn't seem excited at all.

His face fell.

"D-did I pronounce it wrong?"

She stared at him for a few moments, not understanding what he was asking; but then she shook her head.

"You just need to work... on your  _ö._  It's supposed... to sound like  _ugh._ Like the  _ugh_ in… in  _birch_ ", she instructed.

He made a mental note of the foreign letter, but Alice still didn't look pleased.

"What is it dear?", he wondered. Was she in pain? Was the fever returning?

She looked a little uncertain.

"W-was it something I said?", he asked, getting more panicked than worried at this point.

She frowned at him. Then she averted her eyes to her lap. Fingered some at the duvet.

"I… I like it much more when you call me Alice…", she confessed.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to call me miss Sjögren… or  _miss_  anything actually. I like you calling me just Alice, Mr Delalieu…", she said.

"Oh", he said.

"O… okay then. Alice it shall be!", he declared and chuckled a little at his theatricality.

"What's your name then, Mr Delalieu?", Alice asked.

That seemed to bring a shift to the atmosphere. For a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer at all, but then-

"Jasper", he replied,"It's Jasper."

"Jasper!", she repeated.

"Jasper Delalieu", she said and nodded at him. Seeming to deming it worthy.

"Alice Sjögren", he returned.

She giggled.

"Is it French? It sounds French", she said.

" _Jasper_?", he asked.

" _No!_ ", she laughed,"Delalieu!"

"Ah, that's what I thought", he said.

"And you're correct, it  _is_ ", he continued.

"Does it mean anything?", she wondered.

He smiled at her interest.

"Let me see… ah yes. So  _De la_  means  _of the_ , and  _Lieu_  means  _place_  or  _position._  So  _De la lieu_  means  _of the place,_  or  _of the position."_

She sat and thought about it for a few moments.

" _Jasper of the place_ … What's 'the place'?"

He shrugged.

"I don't really know to be honest. It was my father who was from Quebec; it's a place in Canada where they speak French. I think it's just one of those names the colonists made up when they came to North America, because I don't have any known family in France."

"Okay", she said.

And as much as he enjoyed to just sit there and chat with her he was there for a reason. He took the pause that followed to change the subject.

"I'm was actually here to tell you about something, dear", he said and scooted his chair a little closer.

"Hmm?"

He picked up a folder he had brought with him.

She leaned forward to see, flattening down the duvet with her arms.

"What is it?", she asked.

"Alice, did Mr Veens tell you about your lungs?", he asked, avoiding the question.

"He always talks... about my lungs…", she said a little unsurely.

Of course he had talked to her about her lungs.

"About what's going to happen when you get better again", he clarified.

"Oh", that lit up something.

"Yeah, I'm getting operated", she said.

"Yes", he agreed.

"You're getting surgery. And you know why, right?"

She nodded.

"Because a little part of... my lung won't work anymore, and it's better... to take it out", she told him, pausing to cough a little.

"E-exactly dear", he stammered, getting a little angsty at the  _taking out_ bit _._

"And Doctor Veens gave you some papers to sign, right?"

She nodded.

"He even gave me one to read through in Swedish!", She told him. Obviously very pleased.

"I didn't understand most of it, but he explained it to me."

"How nice of him", Delalieu pondered, and he wondered to himself how he was going to explain this to her.

He shifted in his seat.

"Now dear, as you know, your parents aren't here, we're still looking for them…", he said, keeping his voice as gentle and forthcoming as possible.

He gave her a pause to nod.

"It has turned out that they have to sign that document, because you're not old enough. You know about those sort of things, right? But don't worry!", he hurried to say as he saw a look of worry cross her face.

"The doctors are still going to remove that bad part of your lung, this isn't going to change anything. But in the meantime, since your parents aren't here, you'll be  _granted custody_  here in sector 45. When we've done that we, the  _Re establishment_ , can sign instead."

"All you have to do is to sign these documents", he said and brought them out from the folder for her to see. He also brought out copies in Swedish O'lander had gotten for her specifically.

" _This one_  is for becoming a citizen in sector 45 and to get a citizen card", he explained and gave her the first.

"As you can see Sir Warner has already filled in most of the information. You can look it over if you want to", he told her.

She seemed to make a quick scan of it, but didn't seem very interested. She just looked at him.

"And this one is for consenting to the shift of guardianship…", he said and gave her the other.

She took it into her hand and her light gray eyes ran over that one as well.

"Any questions?", he asked her.

She didn't say anything for a long while.

"Why does it say  _adoption_?", she wondered.

He blinked.

"W-where does it say that?"

She held it out for him and pointed.

It was the same word.  _'adoption av undertecknad'_

He looked at the English document he was still holding in his hand.

It didn't match.

' _granted custody of [signed]...'_

"No, love, we're just going to make sure you're taken care of until we find your parents… it's nothing so major, it's just temporary…", he replied. Bewildered by the translation.

"So why is Warner's... name here?", she asked.

"And yours", she added and looked at him.

"You know I said that the Re establishment will sign?", he asked her.

She nodded.

"Well, as you know, an organization as  _a thing_  can't make  _decisions_  or  _talk._  So while the Re establishment is your ' _legal guardian_ '", he said with air quotes,"Warner is signed as the, um,  _decision maker_ , and I as the  _spokesperson_. So Warner will have the final say with the legal things, and I'll be the one people will  _talk to,_ since Warner doesn't have that kind of time on his hands...", he tried to explain. He still wasn't very sure of what his role actually demanded of him, just that it was more fitted for him than it was for Warner.

"But why Warner?", she suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

The look she gave him was enough on it's own.

Despite his standing he was still only seven years older than her when you thought about it.

"Well, he's the highest authority in sector 45, so it wouldn't be correct if anyone else was held responsible", he tried.

"But you're older…", she protested.

It took a moment too long for him to realize what she was implying. And he couldn't help but to feel a little flattered, even if she was probably latching onto anything but to have the young commander having the final say in her young life.

He took her hand that was laying on the mountain of duvet and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry dear, I'll do my best to make sure he doesn't make any rash decisions. And I'm sure it won't last very long."

She did seem a little more comfortable with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone doesn't like Delalieu's first name: FIGHT ME or come up with a better one! >:)  
> It's was between Jasper or Rupert. But Rupert sounded too much like my grandfather's name (Herbert). So I settled on Jasper.


	23. Day 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice recieves some visitors in her new room.  
> Delalieu is upset about the temperature.  
> Delalieu and Alice are goals.  
> Warner explains those little colorful squares on the uniform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't say that I'm proud of this chapter.  
> The POV is all over the place on this one, so, be aware of that. And I basically had to force myself to write this, because there is no other way of getting out of writer's block. 
> 
> And the next book comes out in less than a month.  
> And I'm slightly scared. LOL
> 
> But the new chapter is here. And it's super long. But doesn't really contribute to the plot in any way. But that's how I write. Slowlly burning like charcoal. And maybe I'll actually get to the fun stuff after this. Like Alice getting healthy. Because this has gone on for way to long.

"Well, when you look at that!", Delalieu swooned as soon as he came in through the door.

He looked around the room, looked at Alice sitting in the bed, and looked around again. A smile on his face.

The new room had the same sterile white walls as the quarantine room, but was slightly smaller than the aforementioned; which wasn't that much of a surprise considering that the quarantine room was built to be able to host more than one person at a time. The main difference was that Alice's new room had windows. Facing outwards.

"And it's a room with a view!", he remarked as he walked up the bed. Alice was sitting with the cover snugly rolled up against her stomach, and nodded approvingly at his remark.

Said view wasn't much more than the quadroon and the wired fence beyond it, with the gray sky looming above everything. But who were they to complain? It was better than the hallway.

"I like it much more than the other room. They said I can pick the curtains and stuff!", she told him.

"But I'm not sure of what to pick though…", she said and studied the windows, as if trying to imagine what they would look like.

"I'm sure whatever you pick is going to be very nice, dear", he said and sat down on the chair placed next to the bed. These two objects were one of the few items in the room; since it was sparsely furnished and hadn't been occupied by anyone for quite a while before Alice moved in. There was the bed, the chair; a side table and a low bureau, with the only decoration being one of Alice's drawings; which was kept up by four simple stripes of stationary tape above the bed frame.

"And I have something for you!", he announced and couldn't help but smile even more at the sparkle of excitement that lit up in her gray eyes.

He took out an envelope and gave it to her. It only took her a few moments for her to open it with her flick fingers and pull out the paper that resided inside.

She drew a light gasp.

"It's my card, isn't it?", she asked and looked at him.

"Mhmm", he nodded.

"Wow!", she gushed with childlike excitement as she removed the card from the bottom of the page and looked it over.

The card was the size of an ordinary credit card, although it was made of titanium. It had a hologram print of the Re-establishment symbol that shone in the colors of the rainbow as she angeled it back and forth in the light.

"They even spelled my name right!", she said and showed him.

And indeed, Alice Sjögren was neatly printed in the NAME's category.

"And what's your registration number then?", the lieutenant asked her.

She looked at her card again for a moment.

"Six two four eight, line, seven five A Q", she read out loud.

"Good, Though you don't actually have to say line", he chuckled.

"Now, Alice, you have to have that card with you at all times", he told her, this time in a more solemn tone since it was an important matter.

She nodded.

"And it's very important you learn your registration. I should be able to wake you up in the middle of the night, ask you for your number and you'd be able to tell by heart", he said in a recall to his days in school when his teacher would lecture his class about French inflections.

"I'm sure you already know what happens when a soldier asks you for it and you don't…"

"Mhmm, they get angry and bring you here", she said and pointed downwards to indicate that 'here' was the base. Delalieu nodded, even if her answer sounded nowhere as severe as the actual repercussions. He was going to let her stay blessed in her ignorance.

He turned to the envelope to bring out a lanyard, and while he did that Alice kept herself busy by inspecting her card.

"I think I've come up with a way to remember the numbers!", she announced after just a few moments.

He looked up from the envelope with wide eyes.

"Oh really?", he wondered.

"Mhmm! See, six minus two is four", she explained at she pointed at the small numbers on her card,"and if you go back a step two times four is eight. Then the two last number are the uneven numbers between four and eight!", she said and looked extremely proud.

"And for the letters?", he asked, not unkindly. He was actually rather amazed that she had come up with it so quickly; and in such a clever way (at least in his opinion).

"I'm thinking since A is the first letter in the alphabet, that's a one. And I'm pretty sure Q is the seventeenth, so one plus seventeen is eighteen, and eighteen is four plus six plus eight."

He blew a low whistle.

"That ought to be hard to remember, darling", he said, trying to not sound discouraging. She still frowned though.

"But hey, I know!", he said suddenly.

"Warner's eighteen."

Her grey eyes shone up in joy.

"That'll be perfect!", she said.

"Six two four eight, seven five... A Q!", she repeated out loud for a few times for the lieutenant.

He didn't bother to remark that it would only work for a few months; hopefully Alice would have learnt them by then.

* * *

When Alice felt satisfied Delalieu helped her get the card properly secured in the case. Then he explained to her what she was supposed to do if she ever lost it, since they would hopefully be able to find it with the built in tracker.

He had been there for a while then, and he had started to notice something. He turned to Alice.

"Isn't it a little chilly in here?", he asked her.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell into a baffled grin.

"Why do you think I'm sitting under the blanket!", she said.

"Well you can't have it like this, dear, you're supposed to rest up aren't you?", he said as he rose from his chair. He went to see the thermostat sitting on the wall on the other side of the room.

"It's only 65!", he exclaimed and shuddered at the mere utterance of the numbers he read.

"No wonder I'm feeling the chills!", he said.

"Do I have a fever?", Alice asked from over the bed.

"W-what?", Delalieu stammered and immediately went back to her and put the back of his hand against her forehead. It wasn't particularly warm.

"No darling, you don't…", he said, a little confused now.

"But isn't 65 a lot?", she asked, and he heard the worry in her voice.

He stared at her for a few seconds.

"Aah! Oh no, it's Fahrenheit, darling! It's about… um…", he blew some air through his moustache. He muttered some math under his breath.

"Twenty...? Twenty degrees Celsius, I'd suppose…", he said with a shrug.

"It's very cool for a hospital room, I'd say. I mean, you even have goosebumps!", he said and stroke her left arm. She was only wearing a white t-shirt, the same kind she had been wearing for the previous two weeks, which displayed her goosebump covered arms.

"Let me see if I can…"

"They said that we're not allowed to touch that…", Alice protested as he went back to the little device on the wall.

"Who said?", Delalieu asked. He tried pressing the buttons to try and find the settings, but did not have much luck.

"The nurses. Doctor Veens. Probably Warner when he comes by", Alice said.

He frowned. He wasn't eager on going against the orders of medical personnel.

"And you don't have any long sleeved shirts? Or a cardigan?", he wondered.

She shook her head.

"They can't be serious…!", he huffed.

She shrugged.

"I don't have much clothes here…"

"I'll go see if I can find someone, you can't have it like this!", he decided.

He walked up to the bed and picked up his jacket from the chair. An unfamiliar scowl on his face. Not that Alice had known him for that long, but this was the first time she had seen him anything remotely close to angry.

"They're going to tell you no", she told him, as if to prepare him for the worst.

"You don't know that", he waved off.

Then he flicked out his jacket and draped it over her thin shoulders. She looked at him in surprise, but didn't say anything.

"You just stay put and try not to freeze to death. Alright dear?", he said and adjusted the collar so that it fell more comfortably, even if it covered her with no problem since it was so big.

"Alright", she said and pulled the jacket to snuggly fit around her.

He looked just about ready to leave when he did something that surprised the both of them. He raised his hand and with his thumb graced a gentle circle on her cheek. Alice's eyes shone up for a moment and they both smiled at each other. And then Delalieu left the room looking very determined.

* * *

Mere minutes after the lieutenant had left Warner paid a visit.

"What are you wearing?", he asked as soon as he came in through the door.

"Isn't that Delalieu's?", he continued, starting to sound even more bewildered.

Her amazed look was enough to tell him he had been right.

"Why are you wearing Delalieu's jacket?", he demanded. A slight scowl on his face now.

She shrugged.

"He lent it to me since it's so cold in here", she replied.

Warner glanced at the thermostat and deemed it to be a valid possibility.

"Is he coming back soon?", he wondered, still with his hand on the door frame as he hadn't yet decided if he was coming into the door or leaving again.

"He was going to ask the medics about the temperature."

Warner thought over this for a second.

"Well, that probably won't take too long", he declared and strode into the room.

"How did you know?", she asked.

Her grey eyes were wide with expectancy.

"Know what?", he asked, not catching what she was talking about.

"That it's Delalieu's", she said.

"Oh", he said.

"Well, for starters, it has the Lieutenant emblem."

He walked up to the bed and pointed at a metal brooch on the chest of her borrowed jacket.

"Then there's the ribbons, the same Delalieu has", he said and redirected his finger to point at the small colored squares over the pocket.

"Those aren't ribbons!", she protested.

"They're just called ribbons. They're more like…", he waved his hand as he searched for a fitting parable,"mini medals, in actuality."

She took a second look at them with newfound interest.

"What are they for?", she wondered.

He scowled at little, as if he was calculating if it was worth spending his time explaining. Then clicked his tongue and sat down in the chair Delalieu had left.

After all, he had time to kill.

"It displays rank and accomplishments in the military. I have this, showing I'm Colonel here in sector 45", he pointed at a small blue square with yellow lining on his own uniform. In the middle something was embroidered. Something gray the girl couldn't make out.

"Then there's this one, which means the same thing. But I only have two of those", he said and turned sideways to display a sort of brooch pinned to his shoulder. A silver bird with its wings extended. In its claws was a branch of some sort. She realized it had been the same on the ribbon.

"Are those grapes?", she asked as she leaned it to have a better look.

"No, those are not grapes", he replied curtly.

"Well, what are they?", she deadpanned.

"An olive branch", he replied.

"Do you know what that means? 'To offer an olive branch'?", he asked her, to which she shook her head.

He figured as such.

"It means to offer peace. It's dates all the way back to Ancient Greece", he said. "You see, the eagle is offering peace, and it is my job to try and maintain it", he explained and turned himself away again to sit down in the chair.

"That's pretty cool", she said.

He scoffed.

He sure had never heard it being phrased like that. Cool was not something he thought about when he gave out orders about executions and massenslavment of the people he was supposed to care about.

But he couldn't be too hard on her. He hadn't told her that the other talon was sporting a bundle of arrows.

"Ah", he said suddenly.

He reached forward and took the card hanging on it's lanyard and brought it up to look at it. His green eyes ran over the text, then they aimed at her.

"Have you learnt you reg number yet?", he asked her.

"Mhmm!", she eagerly nodded, then she straightened her posture as if she was holding a lecture in front of the class.

"Six!", she said.

The chief commander watched her as he waited for the rest. But the pause grew too long.

"Er…"

He scoffed in disbelief.

"It starts with a six and ends with AQ…!", she objected.

"How is it that you can figure out the code to my room, but not remember a number code for a few minutes?", he asked her.

She glared at him, but it wasn't serious. Not that he really cared.

"How far have you've gotten in the book by the way?", she wondered.

"No further, I'm afraid", he replied.

"Why is that?", she asked.

"How do you imagine I'd have time to read while dealing with you?", he asked in a low voice, clearly annoyed over the fact that her sickness was taking up his precious time.

"I can't help it…", she said, but he did not look any less offended.

He sighed; suddenly tired. He ran a quick hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I know."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry if I'm a bother...", she said suddenly; and sounded very earnest for an eleven year old.

"Oh, believe me, you  _are_!", Warner agreed with sudden vigor.

Her previous scowl retraced itself on her face. But she did not have the time to retort anything back before the door was opened and Delalieu stepped in with a nurse behind him.

"Oh, sir! H-have I kept you waiting…?! I'm so sorry-"

"It's alright Lieutenant." Warner said as Delalieu stood at attention.

"I've kept myself…", he clicked his tongue in search for a suiting word. Busy would sound too much like he had done something of actual use.

"Occupied", he settled on, tilting his head towards Alice in meaning.

"Alright, sir", Delalieu said in relief as he lowered his hand.

Then he looked to the nurse that had accompanied him there, as if just remembering that she was present.

She took it as her queue to speak.

"It is time for Alice's exercises now, so you can leave if you want to", she informed the party. Obviously in invitation for them to excuse themselves from the room.

Warner snatched it immediately.

"Excellent. I'll brief you on the way to the L-room, Lieutenant", Warner said and stood up, ready to leave.

"Of course, sir", Delalieu said with a nod. Then, as Warner made his way to the door, he turned his attention towards Alice. He walked up to the bed as Alice and Warner called a goodbye to one another, but did not sit down this time.

"They said they would raise the temperature some", he told her, in a slightly hushed voice to exclude the others in the room.

"Though I'll come by tonight before your bedtime and see that everything is comfortable, is that alright?", he asked her.

"Okay." She nodded, obviously much more happy to have him there rather than the grumpy blond Chief commander.

Then she took of his jacket and handed it back to him, saying:"Thank you for letting me borrow it."

"It was nothing dear", he said and pulled it on. Then because he was keeping his Chief commander waiting, patted Alice quickly on the head and then left her to do her breathing exercises with the nurse.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
